One of Scotland's leading child abuse experts is to have his diagnosis of Munchausen's syndrome by proxy challenged in court in what is seen as the Scottish equivalent of the Sir Roy Meadow case.

The case involves Glasgow paediatrician Professor John Stephenson who gave evidence in care proceedings in 1994 against a woman accused of harming her child. The child was taken into care only briefly, but her solicitor believes new evidence will exonerate her.

If successful, it could lead to the re-opening of dozens of cases where Stephenson's evidence was a factor in decisions to take children into care.

Judges decided last week there were grounds for the 1994 case to be looked at again. The hearing is due to start in April.

Last year in England there was a review of cases in which medical experts strongly disagreed about the harm done by parents of children taken into care. It followed the December 2003 acquittal of Angela Cannings after Meadow's evidence, which led to her conviction for killing her babies, was discredited.