when they may have been binge drinking, said Prof Kesmodel. More... But he added: 'These findings, which were unexpected, should bring some comfort to women if they were drinking before they realised they were pregnant.' A total of 1,628 women, aged 31 on average, were recruited for the research at their first antenatal visit. Their weekly drinking habits were recorded, with low consumption defined as one to four drinks, moderate as five to eight and high levels as nine or more. Women who did not drink during pregnancy were included for comparison. In Denmark, one standard drink is equal to 12 grams of pure alcohol, compared with a unit of 7.9g in the UK. Five studies published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology looked at the effects of alcohol on IQ, attention span, and functions such as planning, organisation and self-control in five-year-old children. The study by Danish researchers contradicts the official advice warning pregnant women to stop drinking They showed occasional binge drinking, or low to moderate weekly drinking, in early pregnancy had no significant effect on the neurodevelopment of children aged five. No differences in IQ and other tests were found between children whose mothers had up to eight drinks a week in pregnancy compared with those abstaining. There was also no effect on a child's selective attention and sustained attention in children of mothers drinking up to eight drinks a week. However, nine or more drinks a week were associated with a lower attention