Bradford is the second worst area in the region for babies born suspected of being hooked on drugs.

A new report, looking at the Northern and Yorkshire region, showed Bradford Royal Infirmary had more than nine babies per 1,000 born suspected of being dependent on illegal drugs.

Only Hull had a higher level - at 11 per 1,000 - in the region, which includes Teesside, Tyneside and North Yorkshire. The national average is 5.5 per 1,000.

The report, Drug Misuse in Pregnancy in the Northern and Yorkshire Region, by the Northern and Yorkshire Public Health Observatory, says 49 babies were born suspected drug-dependent in Bradford in 2001 compared to 33 in Hull - although Hull has a smaller population.

The maternity unit at Airedale Hospital, near Steeton, saw 12 babies born suspected drug-dependent - slightly below the national average.

Dr Michael Grandey, senior registrar in public health medicine at the Northern and Yorkshire Public Health Observatory, said: "This study has highlighted that among pregnant women, drug misuse is much more common than had previously been known.

"Close to one per cent of all babies born are to drug-misusing mothers. This is around ten times higher than had previously been documented."

The study was carried out among the region's 37 maternity units to discover the number of drug-misusing women using maternity services and the number of babies born to them. It also looked at how data of drug misuse is collected and the maternity services available for pregnant drug users. Key recommendations include an improvement in both of these areas.

Sian Jones, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, is part of a team responsible for a one-stop clinic at Bradford Royal Infirmary for mothers-to-be who use illegal drugs. She said she was not surprised by the figures and revealed numbers were rising all the time. Last year 67 babies were born suspected drug-dependent and in the second week of this year 25 women were already booked in to give birth.

She said: "We have formed good relationships with the drug-dependent community. They know we offer a service that is non-judgemental and they will get good care.

"If they have a good experience, they will come back."

Most of the women using the one-stop clinic smoked heroin. Others used crack and cannabis, she said.