The baby at the centre of a blood row has been given the heart operation he needs - but only after intervention from a High Court judge and police.
On Thursday night Justice Gault issued an emergency order telling the parents to stop blocking doctors' attempts to prepare for the operation.
A video of the confrontation between police and the family has been distributed on anti-vaccine platforms.
At Auckland Hospital late last night, police had to intervene to help health staff carry out pre-operation checks on the baby after facing resistance from the parents.
The family cannot be identified because of a court suppression order. A video, filmed for the family, is being circulated on anti-vaccination platforms.
"You guys are criminals! You are criminals! You are conducting a criminal act here!" the father was filmed saying.
It came after a High Court Judge issued a late-night order. Lawyers from Health New Zealand had informed him that: "Health staff have endeavoured to take steps to prepare [the baby] for surgery including taking blood tests, performing a chest X-ray and performing anaesthetic assessment."
He continued: "Counsel understands that the parents prevented this occurring, and advised health staff that 'you touch our child and we will press criminal charges against you'."
Justice Gault said in his minute that it was previously common ground that the baby required heart surgery but now it seemed necessary to make further orders for that to go ahead. He extended the order of the court so that the two medical agents could carry out pre-operative checks on the baby, and ordered the respondents in this case, the family, his parents, not to obstruct Health Staff.
"You do not need to do the operation," the father was filmed saying.
But a cardiologist with expertise in the field who spoke to Newshub said the risk for a child with pulmonary valve stenosis is very real.
They told us: "The chances of this baby having a stroke which would be permanent, and disabling, and could even be fatal, is high."
"The longer we wait the greater the chance because the right ventricle will slowly, steadily fail, it'll get worse."
The parents in this case wanted surgery using blood from unvaccinated people - and said they had found their own donors. But they lost that argument when guardianship of their baby was given to the court.
The court had ruled the operation was in the baby's best interests, and that has now been carried out.
The parents' lawyer Sue Grey told Newshub the baby is doing well after the surgery went ahead.
She said the parents have seen him again after surgery and are relieved it has gone well. She added it's been an enormously stressful journey.
