Not surprisingly women who drank at higher levels were clearly more likely to have children with problems, especially if they were boys. Experts at the National Organisation For Foetal Alcohol Syndrome brought attention to a flaw in the study. They said the study looked at children up to the age of five where as some problems might not manifest until age seven. In retaliation to the findings a spokesman for the Department of Health said, After assessing the available evidence, we cannot say with confidence that drinking during pregnancy is safe and will not harm your baby. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, our advice to pregnant women and women trying to conceive is to avoid alcoholOur advice is clear so as not to confuse women. It is consistent with advice from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Fruits & Vegetables during pregnancy

In another study by a team at University of Auckland published in the British journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, it was seen that consumption of at least three portions of green vegetables a day reduced the risk of a small baby by half, and eating less than one portion of fruit a week increased the risk by half. The study looked at 3500 women. Three portions of oily fish a week reduced the risk of a small baby by 60 per cent.

According to Professor Philip Steer, BJOG editor-in-chief, The importance of taking up and maintaining a healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy has repeatedly been shown, however we live in an era of fast and convenience foods which are attractive but bad for our health if eaten too often and to the exclusion of healthier options. This study emphasizes the importance of good diet and nutrition. Unfortunately, many people find it difficult to resist the temptations of junk ™ foodIf more women can be persuaded to have a better diet during pregnancy, using the motivation of optimizing their baby ™s health, then as they are commonly in charge of the family diet, we could improve the health of the whole population. The take-home message is: Fewer takeaways, more fresh fruit and vegetables.