A WOMAN could re-ceive up to #500,000 damages for raising the child she would not have borne had she been told that she was suffering from a life-threatening heart condition.

The former nurse gave birth to a daughter by emergency Caesarean section in November 1989 - soon after being told that she had pulmonary hypertension, a potentially fatal condition made worse by pregnancy.

The case is thought to be the first damages award for the cost of rearing a child who was ''unwanted'' at birth - but was wanted and planned at conception.

Ruling on liability, Mr Justice Astill said in the High Court: ''Although she was very much wanted at conception, the child would not have been born had a proper diagnosis been made.''

The 39-year-old mother - who was not named - sued Croydon Health Authority for damages for failing to interpret correctly a chest X-ray she had in November 1988, five months before she became pregnant.

The authority, while denying liability, accepted that its reading of the X-ray, which was part of the selection process for a new job, was negligent.

Her relationship with her husband had been affected and they were now contemplating div-orce.

''I don't accept she would have suffered in the same way if the diagnosis was made at the proper time,'' said the judge.

The award - to in-clude damages for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, costs of raising the child from birth to 18, and pregnancy expenses - will be as-sessed at a later date.

The authority said it would appeal against the decision.