Young man with irreversible brain damage settles for €14.5m over wrong diagnosis as a baby

The baby’s mother, concerned her son was missing all his milestones, had gone to doctors 38 times in the first two years of his life before more tests were done and a correct diagnosis was made

In the proceedings it was claimed there was a failure to properly test the baby's heel pin prick sample and a failure to manage the national screening laboratory to an appropriate standard. File photo

A 20-year-old man who has irreversible brain damage after a heel pin prick test as a baby under the national newborn screening programme was incorrectly reported as normal has settled a High Court action for €14.5million.

His counsel Pearse Sreenan SC told the High Court the pin prick test taken in the days after birth was reported back as normal when it was not, and by the time the real diagnosis of a metabolic disorder was made two years later, it was too late.