The Barnardo's adverts are aimed at raising awareness

Dozens of people have complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about an advert which shows a baby with a cockroach in its mouth.

The advert is part of a campaign to show not all children are born "with a silver spoon" in their mouths.

Barnardo's says 3.8m or one in three UK children live in poverty in a household on less than �242 a week.

UK's poor record

The campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the issue among the public and members of the government.

More than 60 people had contacted ASA's website by Wednesday lunchtime.

Another advert in the "silver spoons" campaign features a baby with a methylated spirits bottle in its mouth while a third shows a baby with a syringe.

No-one from Barnardo's was initially available to comment on reaction to the adverts.

The charity says the UK has one of the highest rates of child poverty of any industrialised nation.

And it says poverty is at the root of the majority of the diverse problems that Barnardo's helps young people and their families cope with every day.

'Preventable cycle'

"The 'silver spoon' campaign shows that these babies have the odds stacked against them before they even leave hospital," said a spokeswoman.

"They are more likely to grow up to be addicted to alcohol and drugs, become the victims and perpetrators of crime and to be homeless.

The government has made a commitment to end child poverty by 2020... we're concerned there's a long way to go Barnardo's spokeswoman Neera Sharma

"This is a predictable and yet preventable cycle, with huge cost to them and society as a whole. "

Barnardo's spokeswoman Neera Sharma told BBC Radio 5 Live: "People living in poverty are defined as those living on less than 60% of the national median income, after housing costs.

"Which translates into �242 a week for a couple with two children.

"If that same family were living on income support, they would be getting �178 a week after housing costs. You can see that's significantly below the poverty figure line."

She said the government should begin to honour its pledges on child poverty.

"The government has made a commitment to end child poverty by 2020," she said.

"They have put into place lots of policies to help them reach that goal.

"So far about half a million children have been taken out of poverty. But we're concerned there's a long way to go."