Jury still out on link between birth trauma and autism

The €7.25 million out-of-court settlement in the ‘test case’ of a 13-year-old autistic boy meant no legal determination was made on the issue

Last week, it was reported that the family of an autistic boy who sued over the circumstances of his birth at the National Maternity Hospital, had settled a High Court action for €7.25 million.

It was labelled a “test case”, and a “precedent”. It was an issue that hadn’t previously been determined by a court in Ireland, or further afield, according to the boy’s barrister. And it remains to be determined, because of ...