Bubbly and baby-dreams don’t go together

Bubbly and baby making are a bad combination, doctors have warned, ahead of a Christmas period.

Dr Linda de Caestecker, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s director of public health, said: “Midwives often say Christmas and New Year is a time when many couples conceive and there could be many factors at play here.

“But it is important to remember is if you are trying for a baby or you are at risk of pregnancy, you really need to avoid alcohol completely”.

In September NHSGGC launched an information campaign - No alcohol, no alcohol harm - aimed at pregnant women and those thinking about having a baby, to highlight the risk of their child being born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

The most conservative estimate is that 500 babies born in Scotland every year have been adversely affected by the condition.

FASD is often associated with facial features such as small eyelid openings, short upturned noses and reduced-sized heads, but it can also affect the heart and cause varying degrees of learning disabilities.

It causes permanent, irreversible damage to a baby’s brain.

Although warning against champagne and copulation, Dr de Caestecker says:“We want women to enjoy the festive period and hope those trying to conceive get the Christmas present they are hoping for.

“There are plenty of nonalcoholic alternatives available such as fruity mocktails or alcohol-free wine or lager, so there is no reason to miss those Christmas parties.”