According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) draft guidelines, after the first three months of pregnancy, women can drink up to 1.5 units of alcohol a day, the equivalent of a 125ml glass of wine or a 25ml measure of spirits.
The advice is based on a review of all evidence based on effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
According to BBC News, a spokeswoman from NICE said: "The experts have concluded that there is no consistent evidence of adverse effects from low-to-moderate alcohol during pregnancy (less than one drink or 1.5 units per day) but the evidence is probably not strong enough to rule out any risk.
The latest advice from NICE contradicts the British government's unequivocal advice to pregnant women and women trying to conceive that they completely abstain from alcohol.
Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics for baby charity Tommy's, said "there is often much misunderstanding amongst pregnant women as to exactly what a small amount of alcohol is considered to be, and that is something that certainly can put the foetus at risk, as even a couple of glasses of wine have been linked to causing harm to the baby" reports BBC News.
According to a NICE spokeswoman, Thursday's recommendations are subject to further consultation and a final guidance will be published in March 2008.
