Fear of dentists killed child

[ukhudshanskiy]

© ITN 2009

Doctors failed to diagnose a psychological syndrome that made a schoolgirl starve herself to death, an inquest heard.

Sophie Waller, eight, had an extreme phobia of dentists and the "severity of her condition was not realised", Coroner for Cornwall Dr Emma Carlyon said.

Sophie refused to eat, sleep or drink after her milk teeth came loose, the inquest into her death heard.

The schoolgirl from St Dennis, Cornwall, had an operation to remove all eight of her milk teeth and was discharged from hospital.

But she continued to refuse food and died two weeks later on December 2, 2005.