A Judge in the Federal Circuit Court in NSW has ruled a mother must stop breastfeeding her child, because a tattoo she received four weeks ago poses an unacceptable risk to her 11-month-old baby, the ABC reports.
Judge Matthew Myers found the baby was at risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis if the mother continued to breastfeed. Although the woman reportedly recorded negative results for both hepatitis and HIV tests, they were not considered conclusive in the eyes of the court.
The matter came before the court after the father of the child raised concerns about the mother’s tattoo during a parenting dispute.
The judge said he relied on information from Australian Breastfeeding Association in his ruling and considered the benefits of breastfeeding the child versus the potential harm caused by it contracting HIV.
The full bench of the Family Court has agreed to hear an urgent appeal to the ruling in Sydney tomorrow.
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