A mother whose daughter was born with her organs outside her body is setting up a support group for parents of other sufferers.

Valerie May, from Croydon, wants to help those affected by the condition gastroschisis, which left her daughter Adia hospitalised for several weeks after birth.

Gastroschisis is a condition where a baby develops a hole in the abdominal wall while still inside the womb, resulting in some of the bowels developing outside the baby’s abdomen.

The condition affects one in a thousand births worldwide, but the rate is growing dramatically in the Western world, with no explanation.

Miss May, a 24-year-old full-time mother of three, only heard of the condition when she was pregnant with Adia in 2003.

She was grateful for the advice she received from St George’s Hospital, Tooting, which has a specialist unit.

But Miss May decided she wanted to help others who had been affected with the condition after talking to other parents.

She said: “We are not told about anything. It just happens.

“The affect on children is big. Girls need to have their reproductive organs checked to see if they can have children.

“Often children are scared to go to the toilet as it affects the bowels. And there is a high chance of liver and kidney infections.”

Miss May wants to raise awareness of the condition, which affects mainly young mothers in their teens or early twenties.

She said: “It happens at a vulnerable age. Most of us are young mums with our first child. We don’t know how to cope with the demands of life and bringing up a baby at home.”

Miss May has set up a Facebook page and wants to set up a phoneline for pregnant mothers, a newsletter by email on updates of children or charity events and a forum of discussion, meeting up over tea with other parents.

For more information email Valerie on luvshooz@hotmail.co.uk.

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