Baby suffered hallucinations after swallowing ecstasy pill

A one-year-old boy was in hospital last night after swallowing what is believed to have been an ecstasy tablet.

A one-year-old boy was in hospital last night after swallowing what is believed to have been an ecstasy tablet.

The boy, from Edinburgh, is believed to be the youngest child to have accidentally taken the drug. He is thought to have swallowed more than one tablet before his mother saw what had happened and cleared remaining tablets from his mouth.

Yesterday the boy was being treated at the city's Royal Hospital for Sick Children, where he was brought on Monday apparently after suffering hallucinations, by his mother, 21. It is believed the boy's mother is not a drug user or dealer but found the tablets while clearing up after a party.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders police confirmed an investigation into the incident was under way.

The incident is the latest in a series involving infants who have become seriously ill after swallowing illegal drugs.

Yesterday, Alistair Ramsay, from Scotland Against Drugs, said: "This really demonstrates how careful parents have to be if they are moving in circles where there are drug users. If they have children they have to be vigilant and aware of the risks."

Meanwhile, a boy aged 13 was critically ill last night after suffering brain damage when he experimented with alcohol.

Craig Ritchie from Kincorth, Aberdeenshire, who is asthmatic, was taken to hospital on Saturday night after falling ill during a drinking session with friends. Craig had been drinking cider when he became ill.

He was taken to the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, but he choked on arrival and his heart stopped. By the time his heart had been restarted by medical staff, the boy had suffered brain damage.