Moderate drinking while pregnant may aid child, research suggests A new study from the US suggests a glass of wine during pregnancy may actually help a child's balance later in life. A GLASS of wine a day during pregnancy may not harm a child's brain development later in life, new research claims. British researchers have found that children whose mothers drank moderately during pregnancy - between three to seven glasses of alcohol per week - actually had better balance at age 10. But experts warn the study should be considered with caution and women should follow national guidelines on drinking which advise avoiding alcohol while pregnant is safest. More: Debate over drinking while pregnant just got more confusing In the study, the researchers analysed data from almost 7000 children and their mothers. We found no strong evidence for adverse effects of typical general population levels of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy on balance outcomes in school-aged offspring, the study says. In general, higher total maternal-alcohol consumption during pregnancy was associated with better offspring balance. The researchers said the study's balance test - which involved walking and standing on a beam with eyes opened and closed - was an indicator of neurodevelopment while in the womb. They suggested social advantage may play a role in the results, because those who drank moderately during pregnancy tended to be more well-off. TELL US: Did you drink any alcohol during your pregnancy? "This, rather than any direct effect of alcohol consumption, may explain apparently beneficial associations between moderate maternal alcohol use during pregnancy and offspring neurocognitive outcomes," the study says. Australian guidelines on drinking during pregnancy recommend that it is best to avoid drinking while pregnant and breastfeeding. "For women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, not drinking is the safest option," the guidelines, last updated in 2009, say. Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education chief executive Michael Thorn said the best advice for pregnant women, or those planning a pregnancy, was to follow those guidelines because the risks of consuming alcohol at any level during pregnancy were not yet fully understood. The precautionary principle should be applied - it is safest not to drink during pregnancy, he said. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders were known to affect about one in every 200 births in Australia, but Mr Thorn said that figure was likely to be underestimated.