EastEnders icon in tears on Loose Women as he opens up about baby's birth defect

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EastEnder Michael Greco broke down in tears on Loose Women as he told how his baby was born with his intestines outside of his body.The actor's son Gianluca was born six weeks prematurely with gastroschisis, which is a type of abdominal wall defect, and underwent surgery not long after he was born.Speaking on the ITV show, Michael said it had been a tough time and that his mental health had been affected.The 51-year-old told host Ruth Langsford and co that the baby's birth defect was picked up on scans around six weeks before he was due.Doctors decided that the baby needed to be delivered because of fears he might be stillborn.Looking emotional, the star said: "When he was born she did not show the full baby."She showed his head and shoulders because underneath was this whole thing…"The only way I can describe it…," he went on, before breaking off and starting to cry.The panellists stepped in and started talking to give Michael a moment."I'm a crying wreck now," said the actor, who found fame as heartthrob Beppe di Marco in EastEnders.Michael was then joined on the show by his partner Helen and Gianluca, who is now seven months old, and revealed the baby is doing well.However, the star admitted the trauma had taken its toll on him."The last couple of years and especially the last seven months since Gianluca was born, it has affected my mental health more than anything," he told the Loose Women panel."I was always the one that people came to and said, can you help me out, I split up with this person, I have done this... "But now, the last seven months have been tough."Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITVFor more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here..