Australian hospital wins fight to give boy blood transfusions

An Australian hospital can perform a blood transfusion on a young Jehovah's Witness boy despite his parents objecting on religious grounds, a Queensland judge ruled on Thursday.

The seven-year-old went to hospital in 2008 suffering jaundice before significant liver disease was discovered.

Doctors have determined he will require a life-saving transplant in the next two or three years and has been placed on a waiting list, but the procedure will likely involve the use of blood products, AAP reported on Thursday.

The boy's parents objected to this on the basis that they believe blood is sacred and to agree to accept a blood transfusion would be to infringe a biblical injunction according to their religion.

"They are, however, obviously concerned about their son and for his health and are willing to agree to a liver transplant," Supreme Court Justice James Douglas said in a written judgment.

"They are anxious in that context to receive an assurance that every appropriate and reasonable blood conservation measure be used before the doctors resort to the administration of a blood transfusion."

"The overwhelming majority of paediatric liver transplant patients have required blood product support, and performing liver transplants without blood products is exceptional," Justice Douglas noted.

Justice Douglas ordered that the hospital and its staff be authorized to administer blood products to the boy "according to good medical practice".

The parents did not comment on the decision on Thursday. Endi