Court rules that Manchester hospital can withdraw life support from baby boy who has brain damage

A court has ruled that a hospital in Manchester can withdraw life-support treatment from a baby boy who has brain damage.

Midrar Ali’s father Karwan Ali, 35, and mother, Shokhan Ali, 28, wanted specialists at St Mary’s Hospital to continue providing it.

They said four month-old Midrar is growing and should be given more time.

But specialists said Midrar is dead and told the judge overseeing the case that keeping his body connected to a ventilator is not dignified.

Midrar, whose parents live in Manchester, has been receiving life-support treatment in an intensive care unit since shortly after his birth.

Complications during birth led to him being starved of oxygen and suffering brain damage.

Today's ruling follows a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in Preston and Manchester last week.

The judge said the facts of the case were "tragic" and added that "one can only have the greatest sympathy for what the parents are going through".