BREAKING Judges rule doctors can stop providing life-support to brain-damaged baby

The Court of Appeal has ruled that doctors can stop providing life-support treatment to a brain-damaged baby.

Four-month-old Midrar Ali is at the centre of a court battle in which his parents, Karwan and Shokhan Ali, are desperate for his treatment to contnue.

However, a High Court judge last month concluded that Midrar Ali was brain dead and that his life support could be legally withdrawn.

Karwan and Shokhan, from Manchester, lodged an appeal against the decision - arguing the tot was showing signs of recovery and growth.

In Mrs Justice Lieven's decision, she sided with the NHS after a trial at the Family Division of the High Court in Preston.

In her judgement, she quoted a doctor's clinical notes about Midrar's condition.

They said: “Midrar has no prospect of recovery from his injury. He will not regain consciousness.

"He will not regain the ability to breathe independently or survive without mechanical ventilation.

"He has no perception of the world around him and this will not return... his brain is not functioning and will not recover.

"Eventually, Midrar’s other organ systems and his heart will also die as a consequence of this injury, even if mechanical ventilation is continued."

The doctor added that the child would develop pneumonia and his muscles would waste away if he stayed on life support.

They added: "I do not believe that he has the capacity to feel pain or distress, so this deterioration will not be distressing for him.

"It will however, be an undignified and unkind way to allow his death to take place."

"Baby Midrar is in an unusual position: tested as brain stem dead but growing in other facets," said Mr Foster, who is based at law firm Barlow Robbins.

"The family deserve every support."

Appeal judges Sir Andrew McFarlane, Lord Justice Patten and Lady Justice King, considered the case at a Court of Appeal hearing in London today.