Lithuanian woman faces charges after giving birth to 'drunk' baby

A 35-year-old woman in Lithuania is facing charges after giving birth to a baby girl with enough alcohol in its system to seriously affect its health. The mother, who doctors say was intoxicated during the birth, had been drinking at home but she was unable to tell them how much she had drunk. Neonatologist Natalia Grigorieva said that the baby girl weighed in at 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) and looked fine, but she added: "it's hard to say what will happen next." Doctors say the baby had more alcohol in her system than would be considered a severe state of intoxication for an adult, causing possible problems with heart function and breathing. The mother is reported to be 'stable' but the baby may have to stay in hospital for some time; it can weeks for alcohol to leave the system of a newborn. Lithuania has banned alcohol advertising and raised the legal drinking age to 20 from 18 as part of efforts to curb consumption in one of the world's hardest-drinking nations.