Mystery over death of baby boy – just hours before his sobbing mum died
MYSTERY surrounds the deaths of a baby boy and his grieving mum who died just hours later.
Kevin Degutis was just five months old when he was found unresponsive by his mum Viktorija Mardosiene, 32, at their home in Dunkirk, Newcastle, in August last year.
He was rushed to Royal Stoke Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Viktorija then tragically collapsed and was rushed to Haplands Hospital, where she died later the same day.
An inquest into their deaths on Thursday heard social services had no concerns for the welfare of the baby.
Viktorija's sister Tatjana Abraitiene also described her sibling as "so kind and full of love", adding that she "loved her kids so much".
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Social services had opened a case file three weeks after Kevin's dad contacted police reporting concerns for the family's welfare.
He told officers he had spoken things over with the new mum, but social workers from Staffordshire County Council's children's services department visited the family home, reports.
David Maher, a team manager within the council department, said an investigation revealed "issues with alcohol", but added there were "no care concerns" for the baby.
Social services closed their probe and concluded there was no evidence Kevin had been exposed to harm, nor any issues with his growth or safeguarding.
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Five days later, Kevin died.
Mr Maher added: "A consensus after their deaths said that the action was entirely proportional to information that was shared at the time.";
Viktorija and her infant son had been sharing a bed when she awoke at midnight to find him unresponsive on August 8, 2022.
She called an ambulance, which arrived at the house within minutes and rushed Kevin to hospital, but he was pronounced dead in the early hours of the morning.
Viktorija was breathalysed and found to be slightly over the drink drive limit, the inquest heard.
Kevin's cause of death has not been established, with a post-mortem unable to identify whether it was due to natural or unnatural causes.
Recording his conclusion, Stoke on Trent and North Staffordshire Assistant Coroner Duncan Richie told the court: "Paediatric pathologist Dr Roger Malcomson said that overlying can occur when there is co-sleeping and there can be other issues like possible CO2 trapping and positional asphyxia, as well as hypothermia or overheating.
"But it was impossible to say whether the death was due to natural or unnatural causes.
"Sadly, we will never know what caused Kevin to die. The post-mortem did not identify a cause of death and it is not possible to say.
"The medical cause of death is unascertained and my conclusion is one of a narrative verdict of death by unascertained causes."
An earlier inquest into Viktorija's death revealed granular material had been found in her stomach, but toxicologists were unable to establish what it was.
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Diazepam and paracetamol were found in her system, but not to excess, nor was any alcohol in her system at the time of her collapse.
A conclusion of death by natural causes was subsequently recorded.