Insisting that there exists no 'safe threshold' when it comes to the matter, various experts have advised that abstinence is the only option.
Retired paediatrician, Mary Mather, and doctoral research fellow in obstetric medicine at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Kate Wiles, have shed further light on the matter, saying:" [The] only ethical advice that can be given is complete abstinence from alcohol in pregnancy."
Acknowledging the 'contradictory, confusing barrage of mixed messages' which pregnant women are exposed to throughout the course of their pregnancy, the authors sought to clarify the matter with a terse warning.
Reminding women that pregnancies vary from one expectant mother to the next, the authors explained: "Pregnant women must know there is no evidence of a threshold level of alcohol consumption in pregnancy below which there can be certainty that exposure is safe."
While recommendations from the UK's Department of Health vary with advice offered by the National Health Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, it was noted that their overall guidelines 'fly in the face of evidence'.
Commenting on the issue, Dr. Patrick O'Brien recognised that varying guidelines often resulted in a loss of trust between patients and their physicians.
Acknowledging the uncertainty of the issue, the consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology said: "If they [pregnant women] perceive that we have been making value judgements on their behalf, or professing certainty where none exists, we are certain to lose their trust."
It has been established that the number of women who choose to stop drinking during their pregnancy has risen in recent years.
