Low levels of alcohol ‘harm unborn babies’

MOTHERS could be permanently damaging their babies by drinking even low levels of alcohol during pregnancy, researchers warned yesterday.

Serious problems, such as severe learning disabilities and physical abnormalities, can occur when women drink large amounts of alcohol when they are pregnant, leading to foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

But US researchers yesterday said studies now needed to look at the damage caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol at lower levels.