Mother's NHS Negligence Claim After Chickenpox in Pregnancy Disables Baby
A Chesterfield mother has come forward with a harrowing account of how her baby daughter was born with severe, lifelong disabilities after medical professionals repeatedly dismissed her chickenpox symptoms during pregnancy as 'just a virus'. Anna Martin, 31, is now pursuing legal action against both her GP practice and Chesterfield Royal Hospital, alleging catastrophic failures in her care.
Repeated Dismissals and Missed Opportunities
Anna Martin attended her GP surgery and the Accident & Emergency department on five separate occasions while pregnant, presenting clear symptoms of chickenpox after exposure through her five-year-old daughter. Despite expressing her concerns, she claims she was consistently reassured it was merely a viral infection and was never offered a diagnostic blood test or antiviral treatment during critical early stages.
'What should have been a normal, joyful pregnancy became a nightmare because of a preventable failure in the system,' stated Anna, a secondary school teacher. 'We were let down by the NHS, by my GP surgery and by Chesterfield Royal Hospital. Most of all, we were let down by a policy that values assumption over simple testing.'
Catastrophic Consequences for Newborn Genevieve
The delay in diagnosis and treatment led to Anna developing a serious complication, resulting in her daughter Genevieve being born in November 2022 with congenital varicella syndrome. This rare and serious condition has left the child, now three years old, with multiple profound disabilities:
- Longitudinal limb deficiency and fibular hemimelia, meaning a shortened right leg and only three toes on her smaller foot.
- An elevated risk of numerous learning difficulties.
- Potential secondary sight and hearing loss.
- Additional limb deformities.
In a heartbreaking decision, Anna and her fiancé Iain Lewis, 32, chose to amputate Genevieve's right foot when she was just 14 months old to improve her mobility and quality of life.
Flawed NHS Policy Under Scrutiny
Anna's case highlights a significant gap in current NHS guidance. The existing policy recommends testing vulnerable adults for chickenpox antibodies only if they are completely certain they have never contracted the virus before. Anna, like many, was unsure of her childhood chickenpox status.
'This is a massive flaw in the system – and one that cost my daughter dearly,' Anna explained. 'If I had been offered that simple blood test at my first GP visit - or even my third - my infection could have been recognised in time. Antiviral treatment could have been started earlier and the condition could have potentially been prevented.'
She described being isolated in hospital side rooms for hours, transferred to a closed Women's Health Unit, and left without basic care or timely medication. Antiviral drugs were only administered after she returned to A&E independently, by which point it was too late to prevent transmission to her unborn child.
Legal Action and Campaign for Change
Anna Martin has formally lodged a complaint and initiated a medical negligence claim against Chesterfield Royal Hospital and her local health centre. Concurrently, she has started a petition on Change.org urging the NHS to revise its policy. Her campaign advocates for:
- Routine testing of expectant mothers for chickenpox antibodies when exposure is suspected, regardless of uncertainty about past infection.
- Offering antiviral treatment prophylactically while blood tests are processed, particularly in early pregnancy.
'We believe that pregnant women - particularly in early pregnancy - should be offered antiviral treatment whilst blood tests are being carried out,' Anna asserted. 'Had a more preventative approach been taken, my daughter may have been spared the disabilities she now lives with.'
Krishna Kallianpur, Chief Nurse at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, responded: 'We continue to work with representatives of Ms Martin in respect of the care of her daughter, and the concerns she has raised with us. As the investigation and legal process continues it would be inappropriate to make further comment.'
Despite her challenges, Anna reports that Genevieve is currently doing well, describing her as 'mobile in moderation and full of light and laughter,' though she suffers from nightly fatigue, pain, and spasms. The family's primary goal remains raising awareness about the dangers of chickenpox during pregnancy and pushing for systemic change to protect future mothers and babies.
