Updated UK guidelines say women trying for a baby and those in the first three months of pregnancy should not drink any alcohol, reports BBC News.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) had previously said a couple of glasses of wine a week was acceptable. It now says abstinence is the only way to be certain that the baby is not harmed. The updated advice now chimes with guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
In the US, experts say there is no safe time to drink during pregnancy. But the RCOG highlights around the time of conception and the first three months of pregnancy as the most risky. Drinking alcohol may affect the unborn baby as some will pass through the placenta.
Around conception and during the first three months, it may increase the chance of miscarriage, says the RCOG. After this time, women are advised to not drink more than one to two units, more than once or twice a week, it says.
[link url="http://www.bbc.com/news/health-31355152"]Full BBC News report[/link]