UK Govt to tell Pregnant Women: Avoid Booze

by Jordan Yerman | November 9, 2007 at 09:45 am

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New for 2007... next thing you know, they'll say that we shouldn't smoke... Previously, the "party line" was something along the lines of "well, you shouldn't really drink, but if you do, then limit it to a few per week", which is all kinds of vague.

The Government's health experts are to tell pregnant women to avoid alcohol. The advice, which is planned for the new year, is aimed at clearing up confusion caused by the Government's key independent health advisory body, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice), which suggested one or two glasses of wine a couple of times a week was safe.

Other health experts challenged this, and the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, appeared to contradict it, making it clear pregnant women and those trying to conceive should avoid alcohol. Obstetricians said that Nice had caused a "complete mess".