A baby taken from his teenage mother by social workers hours after he was born, then returned after a High Court ruling, is to be placed with foster parents.

A judge ruled today that it would be in the best interests of the baby, known as G, to be removed from the mother's care, although she will be allowed to visit frequently.

“The removal by court order of a child from the care of his mother soon after birth is a very grave step to take and is to be taken only when the welfare of the child makes it necessary,” said District Judge Richard Inglis at Nottingham County Court.

“In this case the court has decided that the welfare of G requires that he lives in local authority foster care on an interim basis while further inquiries are made and assessments carried out. His mother will have frequent periods of contact with him each week.”

The case has lifted the lid on the usually secret world of child protection. There has been a sharp increase in the number of newborn babies taken into care and then adopted, but proceedings all take place in closed family courts.

The child was removed by social workers from his mother just two hours after his birth in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The 18-year-old mother was in care herself after running away from home, and has mental health problems.

Her solictor believed that social workers at Nottingham City Council had not followed proper legal procedures, and took the case of the baby's removal to the High Court first thing on Wednesday morning where the judge, Mr Justice Munby, ordered that the baby be returned to his mother immediately.

Judge Munby was heavily critical of social workers saying that “on the face of it”, they had broken the law and “should have known better”.

The council defended its actions and said that it had followed all the proper procedures, hinting that the mother's solicitor had over-reacted in taking the case to the High Court.

“The council and a range of other partner agencies had enough concern for the baby's welfare during the pregnancy to believe that action would be needed to protect the baby when it was born. The law does not allow application for a court order before birth. The protection plan made in advance included the intention to apply for a care crder immediately following the birth of this baby,” it said.

“The decision to seek an Interim Care Order or an Emergency Protection Order was taken at a child protection case conference in December 2007, convened in accordance with Nottingham City Safeguarding Children Board procedures, at which the mother and her legal representative were present.”

Interim care orders normally run for about eight weeks before they are reviewed.

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