BABIES born to poor mothers are predestined for a life of ill health and underachievement while they are still in the womb, a report into improving children’s outcomes in Middlesbrough reveals.

A meeting next week will probe the town’s ‘Early Years’ model which aims to show how making small investments to deal with the root cause of problems is more effective and cheaper in the long run.

Levels of educational attainment are below the national average, affecting future life opportunities and creating a vicious cycle of disadvantage, while chaotic and dysfunctional family lives are causing excessive pressure in the child protection system, the report ‘Early Help – Improving Outcomes for children, young people and families’, said.

Launched by the Prime Minister in 2011 in the wake of the riots in London and other cities, the Government’s Troubled Families Programme pledged to get 120,000 problem families in England turn their lives around.

Aims include getting children back into school, reducing youth crime and anti-social behaviour and helping adults into work.

Known as ‘Stronger Families’ in Middlesbrough, the scheme has achieved a 78 per cent reduction in youth offending, a 69 per cent reduction in anti-social behaviour and prevented truancy across 85 families from August 2012 to March 2013.

There are 570 families identified in the town which will increase to 2,000 during the next phase of the programme.

Over the first months the programme has avoided costs of £519,000 via successful interventions and preventions.

Families involved often have a history of physical violence and sexual abuse and children with behavioural problems.

The report which is to be discussed by the Overview and Scrutiny Board at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Tuesday, found that the health and wellbeing of children in Middlesbrough is generally worse than the England average, with 34.3 per cent of youngsters living in poverty in the town which has high levels of deprivation.

Immunisation rates for some diseases remain lower than the national average and the rate of tooth decay is almost double the national figure.

“Members were advised that poverty and low socio-economic status have a profound effect on child health,” said “Infants of poor women are at a disadvantage before they are born and are more likely to be born too early or too small. They are more likely to die within the first week of life and in infancy.”

It added: “Poor children are more likely to suffer disability and chronic illness and more likely to be admitted to hospital during childhood. They are also more susceptible to acute illnesses and more likely to experience mental health problems.”