A SHEFFIELD doctor is urging pregnant women to avoid drinking any alcohol - as the risk of even small amounts to the unborn child is unknown.
Dr Alison Hunter, a community paediatrician at Sheffield Children's Hospital, says that while it is recognised a mother's heavy drinking can lead to problems in her child, it remains unclear if even low levels of alcohol can have an impact.
The Go
vernment's official guidance is pregnant women should avoid drinking alcohol.
But, if women choose to drink, the Government says they should minimise risk by consuming no more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week.
But Dr Hunter, who has come into contact with youngsters who may have 'fetal alcohol spectrum disorder', believes all pregnant women should play safe and avoid all alcohol."Because we do not know what is a safe level, don't drink at all," warned Dr Hunter. "We don't know what effect even a small amount has."
Dr Hunter was speaking ahead of conference at Ponds Forge in Sheffield tomorrow, being run by London charity Parents for Children.
Sheffield paediatricians, children's guardians, substance misuse nurses and doctors, lecturers, medical advisors, consultant clinical genetics, midwives and drug and alcohol practitioners will be attending.
Speakers on the day include a brain development specialist and a mother of eight adopted children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, both from America.
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