An eight-year-old girl starved to death because of an undiagnosed extreme fear of dentists, a coroner's inquest has found.
Coroner Dr Emma Carlyon said Sophie Waller suffered from dental phobia that went undiagnosed by doctors at the Royal Cornwall Hospital and prevented her "from receiving the medical support that could have prevented her death".
Witnesses told the inquest that Sophie was so afraid of the dentist she refused to eat, drink or sleep after dentists removed all her baby teeth in November 2005. The traumatised youngster had to be tube-fed before being sent home from hospital to recover.
However, she died in her bed just three weeks later due to kidney failure caused by starvation and dehydration . Sophie’s weight plunged to just 3st 11lbs after she lost 11kg in the 23 days after her operation.
Dr Emma Carlyon said the hospital failed to recognise the "severity of her malnutrition and dehydration".
Sophie’s parents said they had tried to get hold of a doctor or psychologist to see their daughter and even rang the Royal Cornwall Hospital to get her re-admitted but were told not to worry.
Dr Ellen Wilkinson, the hospital trust's medical director, said: "We would like to apologise to Sophie's family. There were shortcomings in communication."
