A woman contracted a rare from of the fatal brain disorder CJD while undergoing medical treatment designed to help boost her growth, an inquest into her death was told.

Rachel Gwilliam, of Drybrook, Gloucestershire, died aged just 33. She was injected with a growth hormone from the age of seven to 16.

Some of the hormone she received was contaminated with CJD, although not the form associated with BSE, or mad cow disease.

Rachel's family had decided that she should undergo the treatment to try to boost her growth to normal levels. Despite being born a healthy baby, she weighed just 15lbs at the age of one.

Speaking after the inquest on Wednesday, Rachel's parents, Brenda and Roger Preece: "We in ignorance sentenced our daughter to death. We are left with nothing except guilt that we agreed to the treatment."

Professor Seth Lane, a CJD expert from Frenchay Hospital in Bristol told the hearing at Gloucester Coroner's Court the growth hormone Rachel was given from 1973 to 1982 was extracted from people who had died.

He said: "It needs just someone who had undiagnosed CJD to pass on the disease."

Mrs Preece told the coroner's court she first took Rachel for treatment when she showed no signs of growing as a toddler.

After consulting a paediatrician, Rachel was put on a growth hormone treatment.

Mrs Preece said she injected the treatment herself at six-month intervals.

But she claimed the only side effect she was told about was the possibility of Rachel becoming infertile.

Risk was not explained

She said: "It was a difficult position. Our GP drew attention to the problems Rachel would have by being short. We must have signed a consent form. I cannot remember being made aware of any other risk."

Rachel made trips for scans and X-rays at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

She carried on the treatment until 1982 when she was 5ft 2ins tall, the hearing heard.

But it was not until the mid-80s that Mrs Preece heard that the drug Rachel was injected with had been withdrawn in America after a health scare.

She said: "I got the impression there had been two deaths. I told my husband and we decided not to tell Rachel. We were all too aware if there was a need for anxiety, it was too late so why worry Rachel."

But she told the inquest Rachel spotted a newspaper article in 1991 and went to see her doctor, fearing for her life.

Mrs Preece said she was angry with her parents for not telling her Mrs Preece told the inquest she became tired, performed badly at work and by September 1998, she was unable to drive.

Her health took a worse dip when she became confused, could not feed herself and had difficulty walking and carrying things.

Her family began to worry that Rachel's son James, who was then just two years old, was not safe as she seemed unable to cope.

The inquest heard Rachel was eventually diagnosed with CJD in October 1998 after she became incontinent and was frequently falling over.

Rachel died six months later in October 1999 of pneumonia triggered by CJD.

Gloucester coroner David Gibbons recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

He said: "Medicine has come a long way but how often do we stop and consider the human cost and suffering of these advances? What started as being a most successful treatment and gave joy to her family has turned so tragically into her death."

Rachel's family are now involved in a battle for compensation from the Department of Health.