I cannot believe that pregnant women are happy to take a substance that they know can affect them emotionally, cognitively and physically and believe that it will have no effects on their vulnerable unborn baby.

We know that alcohol affects us, and can cause Foetal Alcohol Syndrome as well as other problems. Just because we are not able to pin point exactly when and how much can cause all problems doesn’t mean that its ok. For young people to be diagnosed with FAS the parent has to admit to drinking while pregnant many don’t and so many cases go undiagnosed.

Surely the message we should be sending is “it is better to be safe and care for ourselves and our precious babies than sorry”. Binging is not good for anyone be it alcohol or anything else let alone when pregnant.

I am sure if you gave your new born baby the odd glass of wine, let alone a binge session, Social Services and Society as a whole would have something to say about it, so why is it ok for expectant mothers? Children are precious and should be treated with respect if you have decided to have and care for the child then its starts before they are born!

Yours very disappointed Luton

Jo, Luton, England

In response to J. W. M. Gavin, Grand Rapids, MI USA: How do you really ever know and is one nights indescretion worth risking you childs life? I think not. Surely some people have enough self control that they can manage with out for 9 months of their whole life, and in circumstances where they can't I think you will find we are not really talking about one nights indescretion.

Jo, Luton, England

Nice to hear the voice of common sense at last. I am amazed that I managed to produce two well adjusted children, now in their late twenties without the almost fascist control over my behaviour while pregnant. And yes I did drink ...and relaxed a lot more than today's expectant mothers are allowed....

G Baker, Neath, S Wales

I cannot believe that pregnant women are happy to take a substance that they know can affect them emotionally, cognitively and physically and believe that it will have no effects on their vulnerable unborn baby.

We know that alcohol affects us, and can cause Foetal Alcohol Syndrome as well as other problems. Just because we are not able to pin point exactly when and how much can cause all problems doesn’t mean that its ok. For young people to be diagnosed with FAS the parent has to admit to drinking while pregnant many don’t and so many cases go undiagnosed.

Surely the message we should be sending is “it is better to be safe and care for ourselves and our precious babies than sorry”. Binging is not good for anyone be it alcohol or anything else let alone when pregnant.

I am sure if you gave your new born baby the odd glass of wine, let alone a binge session, Social Services and Society as a whole would have something to say about it, so why is it ok for expectant mothers? Children are precious and should be treated with respect if you have decided to have and care for the child then its starts before they are born!

Yours very disappointed Luton

Jo, Luton, England

Ladies,
how many of us have had one too many drinks one night and then a week later found out that we were pregnant!!

Last year I was at a wedding, had 2-3 glasses of wine, and at the end of the night had a tequila shot with some friends. A week later I found out I was pregnant. The guilt was terrible. I was so worried I'd damaged my child.

I guess this article is for us, so we don't feel so bad. Whats done is done, just don't be foolish and keep it up. The 9 months will fly by, even without a drink.

Johanna, Nice, France

Why take the risk?
I have 5 month old baby and haven't had a drink since conception (and I'm still breastfeeding!), I do miss a glass or too but am looking forward to when I can. Why can't things be in perpective here and think :
What if the baby WAS born with a birth defect or something similar and the mother had had a tipple or two, would the question 'What if I hadn't?' ever cross her mind?

I say again 'Why take the risk?' There's more to life.and another's!

Mrs Ess, Madrid, Spain

Amazing!! how did they do this research, chose a few single mothers with expendable kids and gave them free booze every other wekend and then noticed their kids were just as bad as the neighbours. Excellent, i hope you get a phd for that.

Tulio, London, London

'Everything in moderation' seems to have yet another application and this really should not suprise anyone with common sense.
This study does not say to make a habit of binge drinking, quite the contrary. What it does say is that one night's indiscretion will not be a death sentence for the unborn child.

J. W. M. Gavin, Grand Rapids, MI USA

OK ladies you can now drink its not going to harm the baby ! well thats according to these half wits. but just remember a few months with no drink or the possibility of a defect baby that is then a liftimes work, I bet dumb and dumber will not be around to help

A, Simms, Wakefield, West Yorkshire

Wow, I wonder how many chavy single-moms-to-be just read that and went out for a bottle of cider and 20 fags.

Just because some study claims to have found no direct adverse affects to pregnant women having the occassional drinking binge, it does not mean it is a good idea.

Anthony Fantomm, Glasgow,

Is this a report sponsored by the alcohol industry?
There is a large problem of birth defects in UK births - a large part of which entirely preventable from alcohol.

This teams opinion is ramped up rubbish spread around the world dressed up as a fact - and we see research at the bottom - 'more than three units per week raises the risk of miscarriage”. 3 units is just one pint of 5% beer!

Underline what nonsense this teams report is.

Mr Hammond, Liverpool, UK