Last year alone, 73 women were identified as having misused drugs, while a further 12 had alcohol problems while expecting – and the numbers are rising.

Now a small and dedicated team of midwives works around the clock to support the mums-to-be and their babies.

Joyce Leggate, clinical co-ordinator, and head of the unique Vulnerable In Pregnancy (VIP) project at Forth Park, spoke to The Press about the work that continues to be done to combat a growing problem.

She said: "In 1996 we started noticing mums were using heroin in pregnancy, and iImmediately prior to that we had started to see babies displaying signs of withdrawal symptoms.

''We went from nothing to quite a significant issue very quickly, and so developed a support plan for those mothers.

''We set up a group with addiction nurses, social workers and midwives, sitting together to see how we could support these families.

"Unfortunately, our case load grows every year – it's almost four times as big now as it was a decade ago."

Joyce and the two other midwives, Margaret Lawson and Susan Stein, do not aim to stop women taking drugs immediately – something which could be dangerous for the unborn baby – but rather to promote stability with the prospect of slowly moving away from drug and alcohol abuse.

In Fife, heroin and methadone are the widest used drugs during pregnancy, but it is clear the greatest majority of users want help.

"The women are very appreciative and grateful for the fact somebody is looking out for them," Joyce continued.

"I think it's sad the figures are rising. It's good they are coming forward, but the sad thing for some people is it's the only alternative they seem to have.

''They are living such difficult lives that this is the only option.

''None of the women want to be drug users. Most of them think 'I can't believe my life has come to this' – that's without exception, but they don't know how to get away from it."

The service Joyce and her team provide is essential.

They have followed women who have gone from substance abuse to parenthood, to attending college, and despite having to make some very hard decisions on treatment and child protection, the job has many benefits.

"You really feel that you can make a difference in people's lives, if even for a short time, because it's something they can build on.

"It's the little things that mean so much – a photo of the baby or a letter saying you are the first person who said I could do something.

''That should have been said by somebody else a long time ago. We have lost a generation, but it's about making it better for the next one."