A Cape Breton woman has lost custody of her seven-year-old son because she allowed his weight to balloon to alarming levels, failed to provide proper care and kept him in a home infested with mice.

In a court decision released Monday, Justice Robert Gregan noted that the boy — identified only by the initials B.F. — weighed 132 pounds when he was taken into custody by the Minister of Community Services in May 2015. The child was five at the time.

"B.F. was at risk of serious harm to his liver and other organs causing physical harm to the child," Gregan wrote in his decision.

"This was a serious health issue."

Gregan noted the boy's weight has dropped to under 80 pounds since Community Services began caring for him.

In his decision, the judge said the boy's mother — identified as P.F. — was also failing to deal with his behavioural issues, which included ADHD. While living with his mother, the boy was absent from school 60 per cent of the time between September 2014 and January 2015.

Apartment 'walking with mice'

The boy was also subject to poor living conditions, which included recurring mice problems.

P.F. "acknowledged it was an issue in almost every apartment she had said she lived in," said Gregan.

"She described one apartment as 'walking with mice.'"

The judge refused to allow visitation for either of B.F.'s parents, saying it would disrupt the progress the boy's made since being taken into protective custody.