Alcohol in pregnancy ‘worse than heroin or cocaine’

A leading expert on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome has damned drinking alcohol during pregnancy as “worse for your baby than taking heroin or cocaine”.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is worse than taking heroin or cocaine, a leading expert has warned

Speaking on British TV talk show This Morning, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) expert Dr Mary Mather warned expectant mothers to avoid alcohol during pregnancy in light of recent findings that claim just one unit of alcohol can stop a foetus breathing and moving for up to two hours.

FAS is a term used to cover damage caused by drinking during pregnancy, which can range from distinct facial characteristics to affected brain development.

“Alcohol can be worse for your baby than taking heroin or cocaine,” she said. “Of all substances – cannabis, heroin or cigarette smoking – alcohol is most serious.

“The impact is worse with alcohol than anything else, both on the baby and the child’s subsequent ability to learn.

“Alcohol creates more damage to growth, development and learning than Class A drugs. This is based on a huge amount of worldwide research.”

She continued to condemn advice to expectant mothers as “desperately confusing”.

“I think the advice has got to be very clear – no alcohol is what people understand,” she urged.

Current advice on the National Health Service (NHS) website says alcohol should be avoided during pregnancy.

Yet on the contrary, the UK Chief Medical Officers’ website adds that if women do decide to drink they should not drink more than one or two units a week in order to minimise the risk to the baby.