A Ukrainian mother’s newborn baby has been taken away from her after social services found alcohol in his drinking bottle.

The incident took place in the village of Isayevo, which is located in the Odessa Oblast region in south-western Ukraine, with a paediatrician saying the baby is now in hospital because he weighs less than he did when he was born.

The mother, who has been named only as Valentina, is suspected of having given her 20-day-old baby, named Sasha, alcohol to make him quiet and sleepy.

The authorities had grown suspicious when the baby stopped gaining weight. The mother was assigned a paramedic to help her care for the baby for a month. The paramedic showed the mother how to care for the child, but noticed that instead of gaining weight, the baby was losing weight.

She reported the change to the relevant social services, who went to the woman’s home for an inspection.

The inspectors from the child services opened the baby’s drinking bottle, which supposedly contained milk, but instead they reportedly smelled alcohol.

Olena Nezgodinska, the director of the Territorial Centre For Social Protection, said the inspector had opened the baby’s drinking bottle after noticing that Valentina had failed to check the temperature of the liquid before giving the bottle to the baby.

Sasha was immediately removed from his mother and handed over to medical professionals.

Paediatrician Alla Skarga said: “He was neglected and had a nappy rash. The child is malnourished. In any case, alcohol has a negative effect on the body, especially at this age.”

The mother, who is reportedly 29 years old and orphaned, is said to have met a 73-year-old man 14 years ago. She gave birth to a son, whom she reportedly abandoned. And last year, she became pregnant for the second time, giving birth to Sasha.

The father is reportedly seriously ill and bedridden.

It is currently unclear if Valentina faces any charges.