Fresh tests to be carried out on right-to-life baby, court told

A FRESH medical assessment is to be carried out on a baby boy at the centre of a “right-to-life” legal dispute to decide whether a simple surgical operation could improve his prospects, a British high court judge heard yesterday.

The boy’s father believes that his son, who was born with a rare condition which severely restricts his ability to breath, might be taken off his ventilator and returned home from hospital if surgeons carried out a tracheostomy, which creates an opening in the neck to deliver air to the lungs.

The father is opposing an application by a hospital trust for permission to withdraw the baby’s life support — a move supported by the mother, who is separated from the father.