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PARIS (AP) — A French court has ordered a hospital to continue life-prolonging treatment for a baby girl who has been in a medically induced coma for months after suffering what doctors say is "irreversible" neurological damage.
The Council of State Wednesday ruled in favor of the parents, who appealed against a decision by a medical team in the southern city of Marseille to switch off life-support to 16-month-old Marwa Bouchenafa.
The girl's limbs and face are paralyzed, and a machine keeps her breathing. Doctors say her state of consciousness is "probably strongly altered."
The court ruled that there is uncertainty about the development of her state of consciousness, which it said has recently shown signs of improvement.
A petition "Never without Marwa" has already collected nearly 300,000 signatures.
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