Drinking problems may start in womb, researchers find - smh.com.au
By Michael Bradley
April 21 2003

"A mother's heavy drinking during pregnancy triples the likelihood of her unborn child developing alcohol-related problems, a 30-year study shows.

Having tracked more than 430 Americans since before their birth, researchers have identified foetal alcohol exposure as a risk factor in a person developing alcohol-related problems by their 21st birthday....
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's annual report Statistics on Drug Use in Australia 2002 says more than half of Australian women continue to drink while pregnant or breastfeeding, and a quarter smoke. Almost all of those surveyed said they reduced their drinking on finding they were pregnant, but the report suggests Australian women are more than three times as likely as those in the US to drink while pregnant...."