Pennsylvania Parents Sentenced After Premature Newborn Twins Found Dangerously Malnourished From Missed Feedings and Skipped Medical Checks
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — A Pennsylvania couple has been sentenced after authorities say their premature newborn twins were discovered dangerously malnourished, having gained almost no weight in the weeks following their release from the hospital. Prosecutors say the parents repeatedly skipped medical appointments and failed to feed the infants enough to sustain healthy development.
Parents Receive Jail Sentences After Pleading Guilty
According to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, 33-year-old Courtney Soyka was sentenced to 364 to 729 days in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of child endangerment.
Her partner, 45-year-old Marcus Maddela, received a sentence of 8 to 23 months in jail after entering similar guilty pleas in late October.
Prosecutors described the case as “extremely disturbing,” emphasizing that the twins’ condition could have been prevented had the couple followed medical instructions.
Twins Born Premature and Required Strict Monitoring
The twins were delivered two months prematurely in October 2024.
At birth:
- One weighed 4.16 pounds
- The other weighed 3.74 pounds
Both infants were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and required regular weight checks to ensure proper growth. After being released from NICU care, the parents were instructed to return for scheduled appointments — but prosecutors say the couple missed four consecutive check-ins for each child.
Doctors Find Infants Severely Underweight
On Dec. 11, 2024, the parents finally brought the twins back to the hospital, where staff immediately noticed alarming signs of malnourishment.
According to the DA’s office:
- Both infants had fallen below the first percentile for their age
- The 4.16-pound twin had gained only 1.62 pounds
- The 3.74-pound twin had gained just 1.3 pounds
The twins were immediately transferred to St. Christopher’s Hospital in Philadelphia for pediatric acute care.
Doctors reported that neither infant showed signs of illness — only severely inadequate caloric intake.
Hospital Feeding Shows Rapid Improvement
Once admitted, doctors administered routine formula feedings by mouth, and both infants showed significant improvement within three days, far outperforming their weight gain at home.
A physician at St. Christopher’s confirmed the malnutrition was consistent with insufficient feeding at home, and that the situation could have been corrected sooner if the parents had attended follow-up appointments as instructed.
Current Condition of Twins Unknown
Authorities did not provide an update on the twins’ current health or living situation one year after the incident. Prosecutors emphasized that the failure to feed and monitor medically fragile newborns placed both children at serious risk.
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