Confusion over advice on alcohol for pregnant women

The draft from the government’s standards-setting body, the National Institute for Healthcare and Clinical Excellence (Nice), runs directly counter to official government advice. In May, the Department of Health urged women to abstain completely from alcohol during pregnancy.

But Nice’s preliminary recommendation on antenatal care – now out to consultation – says that pregnant women should limit their intake to “less than one standard drink (1.5 units or 12g of alcohol) per day and if possible avoid alcohol in the first three months of pregnancy”. It says women should be told that binge drinking can be harmful to the foetus.

In practice, this would mean the green light for women to drink one small glass of wine a day, or half a pint of 5% lager or strong cider, or a bottle of alcopop.