International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Drinking during pregnancy could increase the risk of a child developing epilepsy, according to a study.

Research carried out at Queen's University, Canada, found that children born with a condition caused by exposure to alcohol in the womb are more likely to suffer from debilitating seizures.

The study examined 425 people aged between two and 49 from two fetal alcohol spectrum disorder clinics.

It also looked for a correlation between suspected risk factors such as exposure to alcohol and drugs during pregnancy, and the occurrence of epilepsy and seizures.

The research found that children who suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome were six times more likely to suffer from epilepsy as they grew older.

"While this report supports a growing impression that fetal alcohol exposure may predispose the immature brain to the development of epilepsy, the results do not establish a direct cause-effect relationship between FASD and epilepsy," James Reynolds of the Centre for Neuroscience Studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, who contributed to the study, said.

A recent study conducted by the University of California, US, found that children whose mothers use methamphetamine during pregnancy may suffer more severe brain damage than children exposed to alcohol in the womb.