In spite of all the reports, education, public health messages and constant stream information for expectant mums about the dangers of drinking alcohol, a small proportion continue to consume it regularly and heavily.

Two large glasses of wine once a month or more is classed as binge drinking for mums-to-be and, incredibly, 3.1 per cent of the white British mums from the 11,000 taking part in the Born In Bradford study admitted to this level during their second trimester.

And for the first time, evidence from the project has shown a clear link between those mums who consume excess alcohol and low-weight births, with those drinking to excess 70 per cent more likely to have a small baby.

There is no doubt that anyone who drinks anything above the low recommended daily allowance of one or two units once a week is exposing their unborn child to some level of risk, and some would argue that any alcohol consumption at all should be discouraged.

There are still too many who either don’t understand the risks, or simply choose to ignore them. Either way, the message needs to get through to mums who drink too much they are risking the health of their child.

If they are going to the trouble of having a baby, and the lifelong commitment that entails, it is surely not too onerous to abstain from alcohol for a few months?

This research will at least allow medical professionals to give even stronger advice to those who continue to drink heavily, but does anyone really believe drinking to excess while pregnant is safe anyway?

A mother’s first instinct will always be to protect her child, so how can any mum-to-be justify what is effectively putting their unborn child at risk?