News

10th June 2004

Obese toddler had 'genetic disease'

The 3 year old girl whose death was highlighted in a report on childhood obesity, died because of a genetic problem, according to scientists at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

The girl suffered a heart attack due to her obesity and her death was included in a report by MPs last month, prompting a national debate on obesity and parental responsibilities.

However, Dr Sadaf Farooqi, one of the team who handled the case at Addenbrookes, said the girl had genetic abnormalities which meant her body was telling her she was starving and she was therefore constantly hungry. Had the condition been diagnosed prior to her death, it could have been treated.

Speaking on BBC radio 4, Dr Farooki said, "It is an incontrovertible fact that a genetic defect was the cause of this child's problem."

Dr Farooki did not hear any more about the case until it was brought up by The Commons Health Committee in its report, using the evidence of Dr Sheila McKenzie, a consultant paediatrician at the Royal London.

She said, "I was appalled and I must say I felt immediately for the parents and family of this child because with the headlines came the sensational description of guilt and parents over-feeding. The clear implication was that the child had been overfed with bad parents resulting in severe obesity and her death. That is simply not true."

David Hinchliffe, Labour chair of the select committee, insisted the report had been misrepresented, and that the MPs did not say or imply that the girl had died from an unhealthy diet.

He said, "It saddens me that we are being criticised, I believe unfairly, by people who have obviously read tabloid headlines and not troubled to read the detail of our report and the evidence given."

The girl's parents, who have been blamed for their daughter's death in some tabloid newspapers, are said to be extremely upset.

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