A couple is suing a Montreal hospital, saying they were pressured into a decision by its ethics committee to put their child back on life support.

"It is totally unacceptable.… Those people have imposed their view of the treatment to the parents," said Jean-Pierre Ménard, the lawyer representing Marie-Ève Laurendeau and Stéphane Mantha.

Ménard said the parents were not obliged to comply with the decision of the Montreal Children's Hospital ethics committee and it has no power to force them to accept their recommendation.

"They were not informed of that," Ménard said.

The case centres on the couple's daughter Phébé Mantha, who went without oxygen for more than half an hour during a difficult birth in 2007.

The 16-month-old baby now has cerebral palsy and severe developmental delays. She needs to be fed by a tube and spends every other day at doctors' appointments.

Shortly after Phébé's birth, her parents agreed to take her off life support after doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital told them their daughter had severe brain damage.

"They told us that there was not hope, that the baby would probably not be able to see or talk — wasn't breathing at all," said Serge Laurendeau, Phébé's grandfather.

Doctors recommended removing feeding tube

Doctors recommended pulling the respirator plug, but Phébé began breathing on her own.

Doctors then recommended pulling the feeding tube.

"The decision was really, really difficult to take and after the recommendation of specialists, the parents finally decided okay, we'll do it," Serge Laurendeau said.

But the hospital ethics committee said the "child could not be considered a dying child" and that withholding food would be unethical.

The parents say they felt pressured to accept the ethics decision.

The hospital would not comment but has said the parents agreed to let the baby be fed and be taken home.