A MUM-to-be was forced to have an abortion after she was prescribed acne drugs that are not suitable for pregnant women.

Sarah Sharma, of Sawtry, was told at her 20-week scan that her baby was suffering from serious heart and nervous system abnormalities which meant she wouldn’t survive after birth.

The 27-year-old was given isotretinoin, a potentially dangerous acne medication, by dermatologists are Peterborough City Hospital.

At 21 weeks Mrs Sharma delivered Indiya at Hinchingbrooke Hospital on January 23, 2012. An autopsy confirmed the abnormalities were as a result of fetal isotretinoin syndrome.

Mrs Sharma said: “It has been an incredibly difficult year for us. Losing Indiya was devastating but to find out after that her condition, and subsequent death, could have been prevented is almost unbearable.

“I am pleased that the trust has now admitted that they made mistakes but what we really want are assurances that no one else will ever have to go through what we did.

“People place their trust in medical professionals all the time; it would never have occurred to me that they were not doing absolutely everything in their power to ensure nothing went wrong.”

Mrs Sharma and her husband Varun have been awarded an undisclosed fee from Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

They have donated some of the money to Hinchingbrooke Hospital who looked after the couple after the abortion and birth of their daughter Asha.