A MUM who claimed she was advised to have an abortion after a doctor allegedly misdiagnosed a scan has described her relief at giving birth to a healthy girl.

Carrie Chilvers said she was given the devastating news after a scan at Colchester General Hospital 12 weeks into pregnancy.

She said she was told there was a one in five chance the baby would survive – and even if it did it would be severely disabled.

Carrie, 28, of Wickham Road, Colchester, got a second opinion. She had another scan five weeks later and was given the all-clear.

She gave birth to Elizabeth, 5lbs 4oz, on January 11. Colchester General Hospital has apologised for the blunder.

Carrie said: “I was told three times to have an abortion. They said there was only a 20 per cent chance she would still be alive and she had a cystic hygroma, a growth on the neck.”

If the baby had survived, she said she was told it would have Down’s Syndrome, Turner Syndrome or a chromosome deficiency.

Carrie said: “They gave me no help or information. It was the worst five weeks of my life. It was like having a time-bomb ticking, knowing the baby’s heart might just stop. I cried all the time and was off work for weeks.”

Carrie did her own research. She asked to see someone else and was directed to Prof Khaled Khaled, who realised his colleague’s alleged error.

She said: “The professor was brilliant. He told me there was nothing wrong. First, the hospital told me my baby would be stillborn, but now I have Elizabeth. If I had listened to them, I would not have my beautiful baby girl and my six-year-old son, Conna, would not have the little sister he wanted.”

Carrie complained to the hospital. On Wednesday she received a letter telling her the locum consultant who allegedly misread the scan no longer worked there.

A hospital spokesman said: “We are sorry she was disappointed with some aspects of her care. We carried out a detailed investigation. The complaint was partly, but not wholly, upheld.’’ The hospital claims it said there was a 50/50 chance of abnormality and a chance of miscarriage.

The spokesman added: “Where appropriate, the trust has apologised to Miss Chilvers and, in addition, an individual clinician has apologised to her in writing.’’