(Standard) - Drinking a large glass of wine every night impairs a woman’s chance of having a baby, new research claims.

Scientists found the chance of conceiving within 12 months falls by 18 per cent for those who drink 240ml of wine or two bottles of beer per night.

The research found that the level of alcohol - which is above the maximum intake recommended in Government guidelines - could interrupt a woman's natural cycle and potentially damage the egg.

In the study, Danish researchers examined 6,120 women aged 21 to 45 who were trying to conceive over almost a decade.

The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, reveal that those who drank a large glass of wine each day were less likely to conceive, but those who drank slightly less were not.

Lead author Ellen Mikkelsen, of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, said: “For many women of reproductive age, alcohol consumption is an integral part of their lifestyle.

“In this prospective study of women trying to conceive, consumption of the highest amount of alcohol was associated with an decrease in fecundability [the probability of conceiving] compared with no alcohol consumption.”

Annie Britton, a reader in epidemiology at University College London, said: “If alcohol is consumed moderately, it seems that this may not affect fertility.

"However, it would be wise to avoid binge-drinking, both for the potential disruption to menstrual cycles and also for the potential harm to a baby during early pregnancy.