Mother told she could provide breast milk under supervision for baby in care

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A mother who brought a High Court action concerning breastfeeding her newborn son was told she could express milk under supervision and breastfeed him during supervised access visits. The proceedings were reported on 22 December 2025. The woman cannot be named by court order.

The report said that, on Friday, she was told she could express milk for one hour a day. Only milk expressed under supervision could be given to the baby; milk expressed during the remaining 21 hours had to be discarded. She was also told she could breastfeed directly during her two-hourly supervised access visits.

The baby was admitted to Temple Street Children’s Hospital days after the mother took the High Court action, and underwent a lumbar puncture for suspected meningitis. The mother had claimed he was becoming ill after being taken into care and prevented from breastfeeding. She said he rejected formula, vomited after feeds and had not met his expected weight markers.

The action was brought under Article 40 of the Constitution. Robert Barron, for the mother, said it concerned the breastfeeding issue alone. The mother said she was not disputing the court’s jurisdiction to make the care order. Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty adjourned the matter after being told further affidavits and responses were needed.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.