AT LEAST nine babies are being left permanently brain damaged every year by their binge-drinking mothers.

Figures obtained by The Sunday Times reveal for the first time the extent of foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in Scotland.

The incurable condition — caused by mothers drinking heavily during pregnancy — causes mental retardation, facial deformities, hearing loss, abnormal growth and walking difficulties in children.

It is caused by alcohol disrupting the formation and survival of nerve cells in a developing brain, particularly in the final three months of pregnancy.

Figures released by the Scottish executive health department show that about 60 babies have been born with FAS over the past decade.

Nine were born with the condition in 2004, the most recent year for which figures are available. The number of babies suffering from FAS has more than doubled over the past decade.

Experts believe the official statistics, which provide the first snapshot of the problem, may only represent the tip of the iceberg as Scots women are drinking more than ever before.

Figures released last month revealed that record numbers of Scots women are drinking themselves to death. Meanwhile, the number of women under the age of 24 who have received hospital treatment for alcohol abuse has soared 122% over the past eight years.

More than a third of Scottish women drink more than the recommended amount of alcohol at least once a week. One in five admit binge drinking at least once a week.

Professor Charles Rodeck, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology and one of the country’s leading authorities on FAS, said the problem was becoming increasingly common among middle-class women.

“People from all social classes are drinking more than they used to and this sort of condition can affect people from all backgrounds,” he said.

“While older people may indulge in heavy, steady drinking, binge-drinking occurs more with younger people and of course that links into pregnancy.

“This is worrying as FAS has an extremely serious and damaging effect on the brain development of babies.”

Rodeck said shock tactics might be necessary to stop young women from putting the lives of their unborn babies at risk. He believes children should be shown lifelike baby dolls that simulate the symptoms of FAS, such as distorted facial features and withered limbs.

A pilot scheme, featuring anatomically correct dolls, will be launched this month in Edinburgh by the charity Fairbridge, which works with disadvantaged inner-city youngsters.

“Education is the key and health awareness lessons need to increase in schools, youth centres and medical centres,” said Rodeck.

Debbie Thomson, an outreach worker with Fairbridge, said she hoped the course would make young pregnant women think twice before drinking. “We are going to try to show just how devastating an effect FAS can have on babies,” she said.

Jack Law, chief executive of the alcohol awareness charity Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “These figures show the very real risks and dangers that people run when they drink to excess during pregnancy.”

FAS Aware UK, a charity set up to raise awareness of the condition, has already launched its own hard-hitting campaign, which shows bottles of wine, beer and cider labelled “brain damage”, “agonising consequences”, “stunted growth” and “defective learning”.

Children born with FAS have significantly smaller brains than normal babies. They can also suffer from heart and kidney defects, poor motor skills, hearing and vision problems. Typical features of a FAS sufferer include small heads, thin lips and pointed chins.

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