'Drinking during pregnancy can cause the child to become a criminal' - Expert says

Leading child health expert, Sir Al Aynsley-Green has said exposure to alcohol before birth is one of the "most significant" causes of childhood brain damage.

To this end, he is calling for stronger warnings on alcohol to alert women to the dangers of drinking while pregnant.

He further said criminality was one of the possible outcomes of exposure to alcohol before birth, adding that brain damage, learning disability and poor behaviour affected up to one in every 100 infants.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is a condition affecting children whose mothers drank while pregnant.

According to BBC, it is not known exactly how many children suffer from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) but the condition is widely under-diagnosed.

Some children will display tell-tale facial features, with a 'pixie' like appearance, but many more will have brain damage which is hidden until they grow older and go to school.

Prof Bill Phillips, an academic and research scientist specialising in foetal alcohol spectrum disorders said of FASD disorder:

"When a baby is born and it looks fine, it doesn't follow that the brain isn't affected. The face is only affected if there's excessive drinking early in development - during the first three months. The brain goes on developing and drinking can affect the brain at any time."

He added that the disorder makes the brain less able to regulate its activity, more impulsive, less able to ignore distractions and less able to plan behaviour according to long term goals.

Also children with the disorder very poor impulse control, never think about consequences, can't manage time or money and lack emotional maturity.

Ina bid to eliminate risks associated with FASD, drinks manufacturers are encouraged to include "sensible drinking" information for pregnant women on its labels, including warnings to women to "avoid" alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive.