Baby Indi can be moved to hospital in Rome.

Italy on Monday granted Italian citizenship to a critically ill British baby to allow her to receive medical treatment in Rome, as doctors in the UK were preparing to withdraw life support.

The move by the cabinet of Italian premier Giorgia Meloni comes after a high court judge in London ruled that eight-month-old Indi Gregory - who is suffering from a rare mitochondrial disease - could not be moved to Rome's Bambino Gesù hospital.

Doctors at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham said the treatment that Indi receives causes pain and is futile.

Indi's condition prevents cells in the body producing energy and is incurable, according to the National Health Service (NHS).

The green light for Indi's transfer to the Vatican-run hospital comes after her parents lost a number of legal battles to extend their daughter's medical treatment.

Dicono che non ci siano molte speranze per la piccola Indi, ma fino alla fine farò quello che posso per difendere la sua vita. E per difendere il diritto della sua mamma e del suo papà a fare tutto quello che possono per lei. pic.twitter.com/3qKghAi1Uh

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) November 6, 2023

"They say there isn't much hope for little Indi, but until the end I will do what I can to defend her life" - Meloni wrote on X - "And to defend her mother and father's right to do everything they can for her."

Welcoming the news from Rome, Indi's father Dean Gregory was quoted by The Daily Mail as saying: "From Italy, hope and trust in humanity, I am proud that my daughter has become Italian."