Linda McFadden struggled with alcohol addiction during her pregnancy with daughter Claire, now 20, with her drinking causing Claire to be born with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Appearing on ITV’s This Morning with her daughter, the 49-year-old spoke of her devastation as she has watched Claire grow up with mental and physical disabilities as a result.
Linda, who has been sober for 14 years, told the show hosts: “I knew it was my fault and I will always feel guilty. I was an addict – I couldn’t control it; I needed a drink to get me through the day.”
The 49-year-old, who also admitted to drinking alcohol while pregnant with her first daughter, Sarah, said that she was not aware of just how much damage the alcohol could cause at the time.
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome occurs when the baby is deprived of oxygen and nutrients in the womb, due to the high concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream.
In a previous interview, Linda admitted that her addiction problems began at around age 17, and despite the fact that she drank eight cans of lager a day for more than 15 years, she never classed herself as an alcoholic.
Claire was born two months early, weighing less than two pounds, and she was given less than a 50 per cent chance of survival.
She admits that she was overwhelmed with shame after Claire’s birth, and has lived with the guilt of her illness every day since.
While Claire admits that she felt anger towards her mother after learning the truth, she said as she got older she came to understand her situation.
Intense dispute over drinking alcohol while pregnant led to the UK courts recently ruling on the legality behind it.
