Pregnant women in Ghana now take pill to lighten their unborn babies skin.

There is a new trend among pregnant women in Ghana. Lots of expectant mothers in the country are now taking pills to lighten the skin of their unborn babies while they are still in the womb.

Medical experts have warned pregnant women to stop taking the illegal drugs. They say these illegal drugs can cause birth defects, including damage to limbs and internal organs. The practice is growing in Ghana, according to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), with pills often smuggled into the country inside luggage at airports in large quantities.

Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says using Glutathione pills for the purpose of lightening babies' skin is dangerous, adding it wants "the general public to know that no product has been approved by the FDA in the form of a tablet to lighten the skin of the unborn child”.

Security agencies and police are working together to arrest and prosecute companies and individuals in possession of the illegal tablets.