Pennsylvania – A Pennsylvania couple has been handed jail time after admitting they failed to provide adequate care and nutrition for their premature twin infants — causing the babies to become “dangerously malnourished.” The parents, 33-year-old mother C. Soyka and 45-year-old father M. Maddela, pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges stemming from the neglect. Court records show Soyka was sentenced to between 364 days and 729 days in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of child endangerment. Maddela received a sentence ranging from 8 to 23 months in jail after entering his own guilty plea in late October. The sentencing hearing was described by prosecutors as dealing with an “extremely disturbing” case.
The twins had been born about two months early, in October 2024—one at just 4.16 pounds, the other at 3.74 pounds. They were placed immediately into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and required regular weight checks after being discharged into their parents’ care. Despite this, the couple missed four consecutive follow‑up appointments for each baby. On December 11, 2024, after weeks without medical check‑ups, the parents returned to the hospital—and the children’s condition horrified doctors. By then, the twins had gained only a fraction of the weight expected. The heavier infant had put on merely 1.62 pounds; the lighter twin gained only 1.3 pounds. Both infants were found to be “dangerously malnourished,” their weights falling below the first percentile for their age.
Doctors at the hospital, where the twins were immediately transferred, found no signs of illness—only extreme malnutrition. After just three days of regular formula feedings by mouth, the babies began gaining weight at a much faster, healthier rate than they had at home. A physician at the hospital confirmed that their poor weight gain was consistent with insufficient caloric intake at home — a situation that could have been avoided if the parents had kept their medical appointments.
At the sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney B. Murphy called the situation “extremely disturbing,” highlighting the magnitude of the neglect and the danger created by the parents’ inaction. The couple’s failure to bring in their newborns for critical check‑ups, their refusal or inability to feed them sufficiently, and the resulting state of near‑starvation all contributed to the court’s decision. Soyka faced jail time just under two years, while Maddela was sentenced to roughly 8–23 months. The judges imposed the sentences to reflect both the severity of the children’s neglect and the need to deter similar cases of parental cruelty.
The hospital’s swift intervention likely saved the twins’ lives. Once they began receiving proper nutrition, their health improved markedly — a stark contrast to the condition they were in just days earlier. Medical experts emphasized that the malnourishment was preventable and could have been addressed if the parents had complied with follow‑up appointments and feeding guidance. As of now—nearly a year after birth—the twins’ current status remains unclear, but their recovery at the hospital underlines how serious and avoidable the harm was.
This case—of newborns barely gaining weight and parents failing to act—sent a strong message. When caregivers neglect the basic needs of infants, the consequences can be dire. With the parents behind bars, the hope is that this sentence signals zero tolerance for child neglect and sets a precedent of accountability for those who put vulnerable children at risk.
