“In 10 years, we have never had the slightest apology from [the clinic and its staff], let alone an admission of responsibility,” Sophie said. “Quite the opposite: they have always insisted that it was our fault.”

Lawyers representing the clinic and the insurance company blame the two mothers, saying they should have recognised their own daughters.

Sophie says she did complain at the time that her baby appeared darker-skinned and had longer hair, but she said the nurses insisted that the ultra-violet treatment was responsible.

When the mistake was realised 10 years ago, the two families got in touch and met each other. They continued to meet for over a year but eventually drifted apart.

“It was disturbing and very bizarre,” said Manon. “You are confronted with a woman who is your biological mother but who is a complete stranger.”

Sophie said that meeting her real daughter for the first time was “a moment of joy and a moment of great sadness”.

“I was delighted to see that my biological daughter was loved and thriving,” she continued. “And yet I knew that I could not take her away with me. The other mother had the same sense of being torn in two... Of course, I would have loved to have had some kind of mother-daughter relationship with her but that is precisely what was stolen from me.”

The verdict of the trial is expected in February.

Families of two daughters swapped at birth 20 years ago seek compensation from French hospital