Why would anyone want to jeopardize the fate of their baby? I really do not see any reason why a pregnant women would even "consider" drinking, especially when you do not know for sure whether it really is safe to drink.

Ji Han Hyo, Chang Won, Korea

There is clear evidence suggesting that alcohol interferes with the unborn foetus. The alcohol passes to the foetus, which must then take on more water from the mother to compensate, leading to such diseases as encephalitis, amongst others.

I find it incomprehensible that any pregnant woman would be willing to even risk the possibility of harming their child - is alcohol really such an important thing?

Ian Knight, Maidenhead, Berks., England

The evidence is there. There is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. If a woman is at risk for pregnancy she should not drink alcohol.
I have e-mailed NICE asking what, in their opinion, is a safe amount of alcohol to give an infant. I have had no reply to date.
If it is ok to feed a foetus alcohol daily then it must be ok to feed the same to an infant.
I presume that the UK is the same as Canada, where it would be considered child abuse and those knowing of it would be obliged to report it.

barry stanley, oakville, Canada

As the adoptive parent of a young boy with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, I can tell you that my sons life will be directly and seriously effected every day by his mothers excessive drinking.

Her drinking has caused his permenant brain injury and all for the sake of a drink! he will now have to live with her lasting legacy. In real terms he has a developmentat delay of 18 months, he will always need 1 to 1 care at school, is unlikely to achieve independent living and will struggle to hold down any form of employment.

Our aspirations for him are not that he will attain university or become a doctor only that he will be accepted by society for the person that he is, all for the sake of a drink!

If, as this article suggests evidence is mixed why would you play a legalised form of Russian roulette with your childs health, all for the sake of a drink!

Everyone accepts that smoking is bad for the your baby why seriously risk your babys health, ALL FOR THE SAKE OF A DRINK!

Elsie Galt, Ormskirk, Lancashire

I'm fed up with women being told they are too stupid to work out how much alcohol they consume.

We can add, subtract and multiply you know. Some of us can even read!

Morgan Gallagher, Bedford, United Kingdom

We're all carpet bombed with so much conflicting 'expert' advice on a daily basis that the only solution is to ignore all of it and follow your own common sense.

Helen, Northants,

Is the title meant to say "and not too dangerous"?

Tom, Tonbridge,