Lithuanian child protection agency weighs taking siblings after infant dies of Patau syndrome
In July 2023 a two‑month‑old baby in Kaunas, Lithuania, was born with Patau syndrome (trisomy 13) and died from pneumonia and sepsis. The infant also suffered a severe oral defect that prevented normal feeding. Following the child's death, the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service (Valstybės vaiko teisių apsaugos ir įvaikinimo tarnyba) decided to remove all seven children in the family – including the deceased infant – from their parents, citing concerns for the children's safety and well‑being. The agency said the decision, made on 27 July, had not yet been approved by a court and that it would seek cooperation from the parents.
Medical experts note that Patau syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 13, typically arising from random errors in egg or sperm formation. It is not inherited. Roughly half of affected newborns die within the first week, up to 90 % die within the first month, and the majority do not survive past their first year. The case has drawn attention to the challenges faced by families and child‑protection authorities when dealing with severe genetic disorders.
Entities: Algimantas Rusteika · Dalia Jasevičienė · Kaunas · Lina Baranauskienė · Lithuanian child protection services · Patau syndrome · Patau syndrome · Valstybės vaiko teisių apsaugos ir įvaikinimo tarnyba
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Most cases of Patau syndrome are not inherited and result from a random error during formation of egg or sperm. (medical description)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service decided to take all seven children from the family, including the deceased infant. (agency decision)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The decision to take the children was made on 27 July, after learning of the infant's death on 28 July. (agency timeline)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A two‑month‑old infant with Patau syndrome died in Kaunas, Lithuania, from pneumonia and sepsis. (case report)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The child‑protection decision had not yet been approved by a court at the time of reporting. (agency statement)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] About 50% of newborns with Patau syndrome die within the first week, 70–90% within the first month, and 90–95% do not reach one year. (medical statistics)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Patau syndrome is caused by trisomy 13, meaning three copies of chromosome 13 in cells. (medical description)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The infant also had a severe oral defect that prevented normal sucking. (case detail)