Frequent heavy drinking of alcohol during the first three months of pregnancy can damage formation of fetal organs such as heart or kidneys, and in subsequent trimesters the fetal growth and development is retarded. Several factors further exacerbate this risk of a baby being born with fetal alcohol syndrome : - e.g. smoking, not eating well, drug taking, and living in poverty. Babies born with this syndrome may have severe learning difficulties or problems with their sight or hearing; in addition to physical defects such as cleft palate or pug nose. Often small at birth, they may not grow properly and will be at risk of long-term problems.    DAWN ( Drugs & Alcohol : Women's Network ) may be able to help mothers-to-be who have a problem with alcohol or drugs. The use of drugs should be restricted as far as reasonably possible during pregnancy because many do cross the placenta to have deleterious or teratogenic effects on a growing fetus. Current popular books, such as 'New Guide To Medicines & Drugs' by the B.M.A describe the likely safety or otherwise of drugs during pregnancy and lactation, but it is wise always to discuss any personal medication or drug-taking with one's GP during pre-conceptional or ante-natal clinic visits.

Authors such as Naidoo & Wills J. have described current models of health promotion of use in the U.K., and a combination of several approaches will be helpful in the task of promoting better nutrition for women before and during pregnancy. For example , the medical approach will be useful to G.P.s identifying those who may be at risk of disease when giving advice to women who visit them before or after becoming pregnant. Blood analysis for hemoglobin / hematocrit and WBC may detect anaemia; with consequential prescription for dietary supplements of iron, vitamin B₁₂ ,folic or ascorbic acids. Urinalysis may show up previously unsuspected diabetes mellitus , or renal or hypertensive disease - also requiring dietary modifications. Strict diabetic control to prevent hyperglycaemia around conception is desirable to ensure normal organogenesis of neural tube, heart and kidneys. Incidence of PKU in England is ~ 1 in 25,000, and if a prospective mother is known to carry this disease she should adopt a low phenylalanine diet before and throughout pregnancy in order to protect the fetus from defects such as microcephaly, mental retardation, low birth weight & congenital heart disease ( even among offspring which do not themselves inherit PKU ).

The medical approach is complemented by the Educational which seeks to increase persons' knowledge and skills relevant to healthier eating habits. It is possible that much will have been learnt in the home or at school about nutritional theory and cookery skills, and this can be built upon in adulthood at women's health group meetings, one-to-one conversations with friends , health visitors and midwives, - and individual study of library book , film or internet sources in order to become better informed of needs. The educational model for health promotion often shares common ground with behavioural change programmes that are much favoured of the Health Education Authority and in Health of The Nation , - aimed at encouraging individuals to adopt more appropriate behaviour for their better health. Mass campaigns through the popular media as well as private counselling by nutritionists encourage an attitude that health is a property of each person which can be improved through self effort. Empowerment is more a 'bottom-up' strategy of advocacy devised to help increase clients' control over their own lives ; for example through workers' co-operative ventures like food supermarkets: and local community networking facilitates encouraging persons to share horizontally with peers their relevant knowledge. Both empowerment and social change (radical) models of health promotion can involve a call to political action to gain worthwhile goals. Changes to public health legislation require a top down approach, as for instance in the current proposal to have folic acid placed as a regular additive in British loaves of bread.