According to a new study, pregnant women can indulge themselves in ‘light drinking’. The researchers say that there is no harm if the mothers-to-be drink a 175 ml glass of wine, a 50 ml glass of spirits, or little quantity of beer every week. There will be no detrimental effect during pregnancy.

The researchers reached the conclusion by studying the long-term health of as many as 11,500 children in the United Kingdom.

These children were born at the start of the decade and their mothers drank low level of alcohol on a regular basis during pregnancy. They found that the children were absolutely healthy and showed no signs of harm.

The researchers also noticed that the children born to those mothers who drank heavily, i. e. around seven or more units per week or six at one time, were more vulnerable to behavioural and emotional problems.

The Department of Health in 2007 issued guidelines mentioning that pregnant women as well as those women who are trying to conceive should not drink at all.

Later, there was a change in the guidance and it was stated that it is safe to drink one to two units of alcohol a week.

Janet Fyle, who is the Professional Policy Advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, said, “There is no firm evidence that small amounts of cumulative alcohol consumption does not have an effect on the developing foetus”.