Child of THREE treated in hospital for alcohol abuse after being fed drink for months
A three-year-old believed to be Britain's youngest alcoholic has been treated in hospital, it was revealed today.
The unnamed toddler, from the West Midlands, was given alcohol regularly for more than six months.
Experts say the child would have suffered terrible withdrawal symptoms including shakes and mood swings.
There are also fears the youngster may have brain damage.
It was among 13 children under the age of 12 to be diagnosed as an alcoholic by the Heart of England NHS Trust between 2008 and 2010.
The Trust treated 106 teenagers between 13 and 16 for alcoholism over the same two years. Among them, 74 were admitted to A&E for emergency treatment because of the effects of binge drinking.
A spokesman for the Trust said: 'We treat alcohol abuse very seriously and have specialist teams and experts on hand who are there to treat young patients with alcohol-related problems.
'This enables us to provide the best possible care for our patients.'
The revelation comes just weeks after a girl of eight from Dundee was identified as Britain's youngest alcoholic.
Nicolay Sorensen from Alcohol Concern said: 'To be diagnosed alcoholic, it's possible this child would have shown a physical dependency.
'They would have had to ingest enough to cause withdrawal symptoms. It is a horrifying case.'
Chris Sorek, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: 'Any child requiring hospital treatment for alcohol-related illness is a cause for great concern, not just because of the short-term risks but also long-term health problems such as brain development.'
The eight-year-old girl from Scotland was raised by a family of binge drinkers and became addicted at the age of eight.
She admitted she needed help when she was a teenager and was helped to quit by Tayside Council on Alcohol.
Alcohol support groups say they are increasingly being called in to help younger and younger children.
Chief executive of alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware, Chris Sorek, said: 'Under-age drinking in the UK needs to be tackled now more than ever.
'Any child requiring hospital treatment for alcohol-related illness is a cause for great concern - not just because of the short-term risks associated with under-age drinking such as accidents, but also the long-term risks such as disrupted brain development.'
The latest case emerged as leading health organisations refused to endorse Government plans to cut binge drinking.
Six groups including the British Medical Association and Alcohol Concern have accused the Department of Health of allowing the drinks industry to dictate policy.
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