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.