AFP

OTWOCK, POLAND

Doctors at a hospital in Otwock, on the outskirts of Warsaw, called in the police after the clearly drunk expectant mother checked in to give birth yesterday.

"A blood test showed that the 38-year-old woman had a level of 1.2 grams of alcohol at the time of birth," said police spokeswoman Dorota Tietz.

A level of 1.2 grams of alcohol per 1000 grams of blood is the equivalent of a bottle of wine or two litres of beer for an adult drinker, but its impact is compounded in a newborn's tiny body.

As a result, the infant was found to have a level of 2.9 grams, police said.

In comparison, blood-alcohol limit for drivers in Poland is 0.2 grams.

The mother could face up to five years in prison on charges of having endangered the life and health of her child, Ms Tietz said.

"The baby's life is not in immediate danger, but doctors fear the impact on her development," she said.

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