Pregnant South African black women are deliberately drinking large quantities of alcohol to harm their unborn babies in a bid to earn more welfare money

Expectant black mothers living in the Eastern Cape, one of the poorest areas in South Africa, are getting drunk on a moonshine type drink which contains battery acid - with some drinking up to five and six bottles a day. They do it to claim a disability benefit from the government - using their disabled children as a source of income. The World Health Organisation said that there has been an increase in the number of babies born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the area since 2002. The syndrome is also the most common birth defect in South Africa. The irreversible symptoms mean children suffer from speech problems, physical deformities, learning difficulties and behavioral issues. Families receive 250 South African rand - or £18 - per child, per month but a disabled child brings in around 1200 rand a month (£87).