In my area of medicine, obstetrics, I believe the fear of alcohol can on occasions cause more distress than is justified.

Pregnant women who are hardline alcoholics have a very poor record. Their rate of miscarriage and prematurity is very high. In addition to this, the babies born from this unfortunate situation can suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The children have facial deformities, learning and social problems and often have a troubled life.

Alcoholic women in addition to consuming alcohol may indulge in other activities that are not suitable for a mother-to-be. Heavy smoking, multiple sexual partners and the use of other drugs can complicate and add to the insults to the unborn child. This is obviously contemptible behaviour and has to be decried.

The unfortunate thing is that a young woman with an exemplary lifestyle finds that she is pregnant and then remembers that she had a glass of wine at dinner one night in the last week. At this point total panic sets in and she rushes in to see me with big swollen eyes from crying herself to sleep the night before and asks me whether she should have an abortion.

The answer to this question is a resounding "NO". There is no evidence at all that this minimal exposure to alcohol has any effect on the pregnancy at all. The glass of wine on a Friday night drinking is not to be equated with the results of the "litre a day of vodka" pregnancies. Interestingly, most women find the smell and taste of alcohol distasteful during pregnancy and stop all drinking for this reason.

I am a firm believer in listening to the signals from your own body. If a woman decides to give up all alcohol during pregnancy, just to be on the safe side, I think that this is wonderful and should be encouraged. To thrash yourself because you have had an occasional drink is not healthy or rational.

Everybody knows the essential truth about alcohol. Moderate occasional use is harmless and may possibly have mild health benefits. I think that doctors are reluctant to make this point as we feel it will be taken as the excuse for excessive consumption.

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