Mum says she won’t have any more children after scan didn’t pick up son’s condition

A mum has explained why she won't have any more children after none of the scans she was given picked up her son's rare condition in the womb.

Dominique O'Brien gave birth to her second child, Elliott, earlier this year. The Liverpool mum decided that she wanted to have extra growth scans to ensure her baby was developing correctly after her first child was born small. In February, Dominique gave birth via C-section, but when she asked to see the first pictures of her son, she said the nurse was apprehensive to show her. It was then that she discovered that Elliott had been born with part of his hand and fingers. He was also tongue tied. Writing on a Change.org page, she said:

"My whole world fell apart in that operating theatre. I was discharged without any explanation, I sat hating and blaming myself for months when I should have been enjoying my baby. "I went down the legal route and demanded an explanation and that's when I heard one of the most heart breaking things I have ever heard... It is not routine for them to check if a baby has fingers or toes."

Dominique, who gave birth under the NHS in the UK, said that she doesn't think that this is "good enough." She went on to say that she wants these scans to change so no parents has to go through what she did. She later told the Liverpool Echo that knowing about her son's condition, Symbracadactly, wouldn't have changed anything - but that she would have liked to know before to save herself the shock. She also added that she doesn't want to have any more children now because she doesn't trust the system in place. Dominique said she wants the NHS to change their scan procedure to include checks for limbs and digits. Her petition has received 351 signatures so far.