The number of babies born hooked on drugs in Scotland is at an all time high and is getting worse.
New figures obtained under the Freedom of Information act show one out of every 264 babies born in Scotland now suffer withdrawal symptoms from drug addict mothers who have been taking a range of deadly drugs including heroin, methadone and cannabis.
And nearly one in 100 mothers-to-be admit taking drugs during their pregnancy - risking their unborn babies lives.
The figures show the number of cases of Neonatal Abstinance Syndrome (NAS) reported by health boards across Scotland over past 18 months. If the condition goes untreated, there is a 20% risk that a baby will die.
A child suffering from NAS can experience tremors, high-pitched crying, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, sweating, seizures, delayed visual development and wobbly eyes.
Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Aberdeen have been identified as the worst areas in the country for babies forced to go through agonising withdrawal symptoms with 75 and 72 cases reported in the last 18 months respectively.
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Number of NAS cases across Scotland
Lothian - 25
Greater Glasgow and Clyde - 75
Grampian - 72
Forth Valley - 12
Fife - 10
Lanarkshire - 9
Tayside - 7
Dumfries & Galloway, Borders, Shetland and Ayrshire & Argyll - under 10
Orkney - 0
Western Isles - 0
Highland - no figures available
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The statistics come as Labour leader Iain Gray calls for drug addicts who shoot up in front of their kids to have their children removed for their own safety.
Mr Gray said: “There is a belief in social work that in all but the most extreme circumstances, the birth mother or birth family is the best place for the child, and I think maybe we’ve got the balance wrong.
“Perhaps we should shift the balance to removing children and giving them a better start in life…that might mean other family members, foster families or residential care.”
The calls come ahead of a review to be published this week into the case of Dundee toddler Brandon Muir who was killed by his mother's heroin addict boyfriend - a review children's charities hope will lead to real change.
Jim Wallace of Barnardo's Scotland said: “Barnardos supports the call for a review into child protection.
We feel there needs to be a shift in the balance between providing the right kind of support to help children remain with their parents and also that balance where care is provided when there’s little hope of parents being able to provide the support and care that children need.”
But others are warning against a knee-jerk reaction and say rehabilitation for drug addict parents is not an unrealistic goal.
Ann Allen of the Family Education Trust said: “I know of two women in Aberdeen who had their kids removed and then got off drugs.
“Removing kids from their mothers is not the answer. The child went on to say to her mum, ‘Mum, your life is just brand new’, and for a child to say that to their mum is just fantastic.”
Following the case of Brandon Muir, child protection services in Dundee were condemned by Her Majesty's Inspectors in one of the most highly critical reports of its kind ever delivered in Scotland. The government has since ordered "urgent improvements".
Conversely, the Scottish Government say that according to their figures the number of neo-natal births recording drug misuse across Scotland has fallen over the past five years and tackling drug misuse and its effects on children is a key priority.
