Official advice is that pregnant women can safely drink up to four units of alcohol a week.
But tests on babies in the womb have revealed that even drinking the equivalent of four glasses of wine a week can affect development. The government is being urged to re-consider its advice in light of the new findings. The tests were carried out on women 25 weeks into their pregnancy by researchers at Queens University in Belfast. At that stage, most babies jump as if startled when a buzzer is sounded on their mother's abdomen. This response is interpreted as healthy by doctors as it indicates that the brain and central nervous system is functioning properly.