Woman not told about folic acid wins settlement
December 04, 2007
A woman who was not told to take folic acid until several weeks into her pregnancy has won £30,000 in an out-of-court settlement.
Legal Medical reports that Jill Fox was not informed of the recommendation that all expectant mothers should take the acid by her GP on a pre-pregnancy consultation - where she made it clear that she was trying for a baby.
Babies who are not given the supplements run the risk of birth defects - as was the case with Ms Fox's child.
A 20-week scan revealed that the foetus was suffering from the fatal condition anencephaly; the baby died soon after birth.
"The GP who spoke to Mrs Fox denied negligence, but the case was settled out of court by the GP’s insurers," the report adds.
In a bid to cut rates of birth defects such as spina bifida, the government has outlined plans to oblige bakers to add folic acid to all bread sold in the UK.
However, these plans were last month blocked by Britain's top doctor, Sir Liam Donaldson.
The Chief Medical Officer issued advice which pointed out that adding the acid could, in turn, lead to further health concerns - such as the possibility of increased rates of diseases such as bowel cancer.