Drinking while pregnant could be made a crime – women charities warn

Drinking during pregnancy could become a criminal offence, women’s charity groups, Birthrights and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), have said.

A local authority in the North West of England is seeking criminal injuries compensation for a six-year-old girl born with foetal alcohol syndrome in care. She has ”growth retardation” caused by her mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

If the Court of Appeal agrees that the mother committed a crime, the ruling could lead to the criminalisation of taking necessary medication or refusing a caesarean section, campaigners have warned.