Mothers-to-be are putting their unborn babies’ health at risk by continuing to drink alcohol to excess while they are pregnant, a senior doctor has warned.

The number of pregnant women being referred to a specialist clinic because of fears about their drinking has risen in the past year.

Health bosses in Brighton and Hove believe many of these women are not alcoholics, but are instead continuing to indulge as they did before they became pregnant.

They said that babies born to mothers who drank too much could suffer serious health problems, including lowbirth weight.

Dr Neil Aiton, consultant neonatologist at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, has applied for a government grant to research the impact drinking during pregnancy can have on unborn babies.

Dr Aiton heads Brighton’s One Stop Clinic, which looks after pregnant women and babies affected by substance misuse.

In 2008 the clinic had 83 referrals.

In 2009 this figure had increased to 114 and Dr Aiton said this trend looks set to continue to rise.

He said: “Since coming to Brighton I’ve realised this is a big issue. I’ve always known women taking drugs during pregnancy is a serious issue but this (drinking significant levels) is relatively new.

“It is not women who would be described as ‘alcoholics’ but people not adjusting their drinking habits.

“There is a lot of evidence that alcohol affects foetuses and it can be seen in later life. I treat babies in Brighton who have been affected by this.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council report indicated council services were being put under considerable strain from the numbers of children being taken into care, with the council already recording a severe shortage of foster carers.

In the past financial year, a total of 139 pregnant women in the city were told by social services their babies would be taken away from them before birth.

A number of these – the exact figure is not known– were due to the women misusing substances and alcohol.

The debate about drinking during pregnancy has been ongoing for a number of years.

Last week a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health Drinking reported one or two units of alcohol a week during pregnancy did not raise the risk of developmental problems in the child.

The study was of more than 11,000 five-year-olds.

Official advice remains that women abstain completely during pregnancy.

The Department for Health said: “The advice for pregnant women is, as a general rule, they should avoid drinking alcohol.”