Hundreds of children were hospitalised last year after being born brain damaged because their mothers boozed while pregnant.
There were 272 hospital admissions of youngsters left disabled by Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, figures from the official Health and Social Care Information Centre show.
Experts believe this number, from England alone in the past 12 months, is the tip of the iceberg of undiagnosed cases.
World Health Organisation research suggests at least one in 100 babies – the equivalent to about 7,500 – are born in the UK affected by their mother’s drinking every year.
Elizabeth Mitchell, of the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, told the Sunday People: “Children born with the syndrome don’t get better. They are brain damaged and it can’t be cured.
“It is an enormous problem and one that is terribly sad and vastly under-diagnosed.”
Babies exposed to alcohol in the womb can suffer learning, behavioural and physical problems such as deformed limbs and facial features.
Other signs include hearing and sight loss, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and problems with the liver, kidneys and heart.
The Government advises pregnant women not to drink alcohol. But if they do, to only have up to two units of alcohol no more than twice a week.
Ms Mitchell said people often unwittingly exceed limits or drink their quota in one go.
She added: “That’s very dangerous. Binge-drinking can do heavy damage. We want the guidance changed to advise women not to drink at all in pregnancy. It’s only nine months, why take the risk?"
Teen Niamh can never live alone
Teenager Niamh Brown will never be able to live independently after being born with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.
The bubbly 15-year-old needs help getting dressed, has no sense of danger and struggles with school work.
Her adoptive parents Julia and Simon first realised something was seriously wrong when she started playschool at the age of three.
Julia, 42, said: “When we adopted Niamh as a baby we were told she’d grow out of her developmental problems – she’d just had a bad start in life. But when she started playschool, we realised she was really struggling. She couldn’t hold a pencil, she couldn’t pay attention, she couldn’t play alongside other children.”
At five, Niamh was diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome from her birth mother’s drinking.
Julia, from Oxford, said: “One of her biggest problems is she has no sense of danger, so needs to be supervised at all times. In many ways she’s like a child half her age.”
Julia and Simon set up the FASD Trust in 2007 to help others. To contact them phone 01608 811599 or visit www.fasdtrust.co.uk