The mother of two-year-old Russian girl has been told that her child cannot start nursery school because of her disability.

The parents of Sofya Zakharova were told that their daughter's deformed skull would scare other children, being advised to get surgery to improve her appearance.

Her mother, Svetlana Gizatullina, was allegedly told by the school that the fact that her daughter has a deformed skull and fingers and toes that were fused together might scare the other children, and that she would need to have surgery before they would change their mind.

Svetlana and her husband Rasul Gizatullina - Sofya's dad - live with their parents but have no water or gas to cook and wash with.

Local charity the 'Rainbow of Goodness' took the case on but, the school still refused to back down, and were quoted as telling the mum Svetlana Zakharova: "First, you need to arrange an operation to she can go to nursery school like an ordinary child."

However, her operation has been delayed, with experts warning that the little girl's development will be slowed down if she does not get the chance to interact with other children socially.

"The sooner she gets the experience of interactions, the easier it will be for her to cope with the conditions in which she lives and grows. The more interactions she gets, the easier it will be for her to accept herself for who she is," said for local media educational psychologist Ekaterina Belan talking about about the case.

Prosecutors are now investigating who made the decision, as well as finding out why doctors have not yet performed the necessary operation..

The head of the state said that government officials had visited the family hoping to find them an apartment so that they do not spend winter in a cold house.

"I understand that if it were not for the intervention of the charitable foundation, there would have been no meetings on this and no relocation. It's already clear that the rights of the child and parents are violated, and there will now be an appropriate legal assessment," he said, also vowed to ensure that her case is followed to improve her living conditions.