A mum has told of her fears that her 17-week-old baby could be slow to develop after she was born with head and neck problems.

Louise Fawcett, of Coolham Drive in Whitehawk, Brighton, said that she had struggled after her youngest daughter Jessie was treated in intensive care at the Trevor Mann baby unit in Royal Sussex County Hospital.

After multiple tests and scans, Jessie was confirmed to be suffering with torticollis and plagiocephaly.

The conditions mean that she has a twisted neck and has a flattened head on one side, causing it to look asymmetrical.

Mum-of-five Louise said: “The week she was in intensive care was terrible. I wanted to be with her but I had to look after my other children.

“Within minutes of her being born by emergency c-section she was taken to Trevor Mann. They didn’t know what was wrong with her to begin with.

“If you look at her from the front she looks like a normal baby but its delaying her development.”

Louise, 41, said that her and her partner Ben, 34, have been trying everything to help sort Jessie’s problems.

This has involved physiotherapy for her neck, but Louise says that her daughter will need a special helmet to help her head.

The Argus: Mum Louise, right and Dad Ben, centre, holding Jessie.Mum Louise, right and Dad Ben, centre, holding Jessie. (Image: Louise Fawcett)

Louise says that while these helmets are provided in some cases on the NHS, her daughter does not meet the criteria for one as her case is not severe enough.

This means that she has had to look at private options costing around £2,000 which the family “are not in the position to have lying around”.

The couple have been fundraising to help fund a helmet for their daughter. If they reach their goal of £2,000, Louise says that any extra money will be donated to the “amazing” Trevor Mann baby unit who treated Jessie.

Currently, the amount raised stands at around £1,000, but the couple say that they are planning fundraising events in order to pay for a helmet for Jessie.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so at https://www.gofundme.com/f/helmet-for-jessie?qid=c5f54593c74b25383da5b6813abd111c