The Anna Nicole Smith baby battle continues

Anna Nicole Smith's mother is attempting to block her granddaughter's return to the US.

The late Playboy playmate's ex-lover, Larry Birkhead - the proven biological father of Dannielynn - was granted freedom to leave the Bahamas with his seven-month-old daughter by a Nassau court this Wednesday.

But Arthur has filed an appeal objecting to the judge's ruling, an unusual decision as she lives in the US and had previously argued that her daughter and her grandson Daniel should be buried near her Texas home, and not in the Bahamas.

There will be a public court hearing regarding her appeal today.

Dannielynn has remained in the Bahamas under the care of Howard K. Stern - Anna Nicole's lover and lawyer - since Anna Nicole died of an accidental drug overdose in Florida on February 8.

Larry Birkhead said that efforts were "in the works" to obtain a passport for Dannielynn and he hoped to travel to the US "pretty soon".

The 34-year-old photographer - who had been locked in a custody battle with Arthur - has been ordered to return to the Nassau court for another formal custody hearing on June 9.