A Judge has banned an Australian mother from breastfeeding her 11-month-old baby because she recently had a tattoo.
Despite the woman testing negative to HIV and hepatitis, Judge Matthew Myers granted an injunction to stop the mother from breastfeeding, saying that the tests were not conclusive.
The case came about after the father of the baby raised the tattoo as a concern during a bitter parenting dispute, and the ruling has raised concerns about the precedent being set for future cases.
Myers concluded that there is still an unacceptable risk to the baby, and claimed he relied on material published by the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA).
However, the CEO of the ABA, Rebecca Naylor told ABC Australia: "Tattooing is a regulated industry, so if you go to a tattoo parlour that is reputable then the chances of contracting an infection are very low.
"I think unless there's evidence that she has contracted an infection as a result of that tattoo, then it is unreasonable.
"Tattooing in and of itself, as long as it's done in reputable way and that the infection control procedures are followed, the risk is low and so no, we would absolutely encourage women who have had tattoos to breastfeed their babies for as long as they choose to."
The mother will be appealing the ruling on Friday.
