Historically, the French have always talked up the healthy qualities of wine, believing the drink to be no more harmful than a soft beverage.

But now the country is reassessing its attitude, as legislation being debated this week demands that bottle labels warn pregnant women of the dangers of drinking. If the measure receives final government approval later this year, all brands of alcohol will be forced to carry a health warning advising pregnant women of the risks of foetal alcohol syndrome and recommending total abstinence.

Doctors in France have had a much more relaxed approach towards wine consumption during pregnancy than obstetricians elsewhere in Europe, but the move to legislate reflects growing consciousness of potential risks.

About 7,000 babies born in France each year are thought to be mentally or physically damaged by passive consumption of alcohol in the womb. Three mothers of children with congenital deformities this year began legal proceedings against the state for lack of information on the dangers of drinking while pregnant.

Philippe Douste-Blazy, the health minister, said foetal alcohol syndrome was "aside from genetic factors, the prime cause of mental retardation in children".

Anne-Marie Payet, the deputy from La Réunion island, who proposed the measure, said that even moderate drinking could be dangerous.

Coincidentally, the wine industry is experiencing its worst crisis for over a century. Wine lobbyists are not keen to have health warnings on their products and say it is the health service's responsibility to alert women to possible dangers.Winemakers in France have pointed out that health warning labels, like those on bottles in the US market, are not required under European law.

The government has been accused of having a confused approach towards the wine industry, as it veers between a commitment to promote public health and the need to support the troubled wine growers. Last week it triggered fury from health and anti drink-driving campaigners when restrictions on wine advertising were relaxed.

The opposition Socialist deputy, Jean-Marie Le Guen, said the government's policies were incoherent. "One day, the parliamentary majority is dismantling the Evin law [on wine ads], the next day the government says it wants to establish a consumer warning on all wine bottles," he said.

Although the French are Europe's biggest wine drinkers, with individuals drinking about 48.5 litres (85 pints) of wine a year, wine consumption has almost halved over the past decade, partly due to health campaigns.