National guidelines on alcohol use during pregnancy: A dissenting opinion

• New national guidelines recommend that women who choose to drink alcohol during pregnancy "should have less than seven standard drinks" in any week and "no more than two standard drinks" on any one day, and that they should never become intoxicated. • Exposure to alcohol at these recommended levels has been shown to affect brain development and certain behaviours in animals. • Some longitudinal studies in human children have detected detrimental affects from exposure to low levels of alcohol. • Normal public health standards for exposure to environmental toxins should be applied for the unborn baby. We do not know what level of alcohol exposure is safe and pregnant women can only be advised to abstain.