Gynaecologist certified baby with Patau syndrome healthy at birth

A two-month-old girl who died at Kaunas Clinics hospital after being diagnosed with Patau syndrome was issued a certificate stating that she was healthy at birth, LRT reported. The baby’s father, Mintautas, had previously acknowledged that it was visually apparent the child was not entirely healthy.

According to information gathered by LRT, the certificate was issued by gynaecologist Gelena Karpenko. LRT has so far been unable to contact the doctor. The article will be updated if she provides comment.

The certificate was shown to specialists from the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, who visited the family after receiving a complaint following the baby’s birth.

The baby’s mother, Smiltėja Žlabienė, said she showed the specialists both the certificate and the baby, after which they left without finding any violations of the child’s rights. The child rights officials, however, said the family had allowed them to see the baby only from a distance.

Child rights officials visited the family again this weekend. Following the meeting, and after the mother agreed to cooperate, the service began looking for solutions in the best interests of the children.

No decision has yet been made on removing the six children from the Žlabiai family in Ukmergė. The authorities have decided to reassess the situation.