A TEENAGE mum-to-be was heartbroken when her unborn son was diagnosed with a serious genetic condition at her 20-week NHS scan - despite being told her baby was fine at a private scan.

Melissa Barker was given the crushing news her baby has Edwards’ Syndrome in an ultrasound at Burnley General Teaching Hospital.

Three weeks earlier, a wellbeing and gender reveal scan at the private Window to the Womb clinic in Blackburn did not pick up any abnormalities.

That scan also got the sex of the baby wrong and Miss Barker even picked out a girl’s name, despite her expecting a boy.

The first-time mum, from Blackburn, was told at her 20-week scan at the hospital her unborn son had very severe health problems.

These included the brain not developing, a hole in the heart, arteries in the heart being the wrong way round, an abnormally large left kidney, being small in size and having stunted arms.

The 19-year-old visited the Market Street Lane centre to have the £45 scan which its website said includes a heartbeat check, growth check and detection of some abnormalities.

Miss Barker said she was told at Window to the Womb she was going to have a baby girl, however it was revealed at the 20-week scan she was having a boy.

Window to the Womb said its scan protocols were followed and the procedure was completed by an experienced sonographer and no abnormalities were detected at that stage.

Miss Barker said: “The scan in Burnley was such a shock.

“I was completely devastated and heartbroken when I discovered my son, which originally was my unborn girl, had several serious medical issues.

“The clinic did not say there was anything wrong with the baby, it said everything was OK.

“I don’t understand why none of this was picked up during the wellbeing scan.”

Miss Barker was given a report by Window to the Womb which did not highlight any issues, despite checking the skull and brain, lungs and heart and the amniotic fluid.

Edwards’ Syndrome, also known as trisomy 18, is a rare and serious genetic condition and is caused when a baby’s chromosome number 18 is copied three times, instead of two.

Most babies diagnosed with the condition die before or shortly after birth.

Miss Barker, who left Our Lady and St John Catholic College sixth form in Blackburn this summer, had planned to take a year away from education in preparation to raise her child.

She, along with her partner of two years, Tomas Smith, 21, had picked out a girl’s name for their child, Skyler-Rose, before they were told their gender reveal scan was incorrect.

Helen King, Miss Barker’s mother, said she had even planned a girl-themed gender reveal party following the 17-week scan.

She said: “Nothing can change a baby’s condition but we could have dealt with things sooner.

“I rang the centre, explained everything and they offered to change some pink toys we had bought while we were there for blue ones, and offered us a spoken apology.”

Miss Barker, who is now 24 weeks pregnant, said she wants to bond with her son for as long as she can if he survives to his birthdate.

She said: “Week by week we are living in hope.

“We are hoping for two minutes to hold him.

“Just to spend some time with him, it’s not going to last long.

“We had been calling him Skyler-Rose and our little princess, buying so many things and it all now has to be changed.

“It sounds very stupid but it’s like I have lost my little girl.”

A Window To The Womb spokesman said: “Melissa’s scan was completed by an experienced sonographer who works within the NHS conducting diagnostic scans and we are confident that all of our scan protocols, as laid out by industry experts and our insurance were followed.

“This has been thoroughly checked by our clinical lead sonographer and her conclusion is that, at the time of the scan, there were no signs of any internal abnormalities.”

On its website, Window To The Womb says "The detection rate of abnormalities may vary depending on your gestation at the time of your scan."

It also says its 16 to 22-week gender scans are 99.9 per cent accurate.