In this paper, the theme of medical neutrality is highlighted, in particular, the definition of the concept and principles are defined, and examples of medical neutrality violation through the prism of armed aggression in Ukraine are given. Medical neutrality is seen as a social agreement that obliges society to protect health workers both in time of war and peacetime, and obliges medical personnel to provide medical care to all, regardless of religion, race, ethnic origin, political affiliation or other characteristics. The internationally coordinated system for the observance of human rights is clarified, attention is focused on the guarantees enshrined in Protocol I regarding the provision of medical care, as well as on the international axioms of the protection of medical workers and guarantees of their professional activity in martial law conditions, defined in Protocol I. The issue of legal assessment of the professional activity of medical workers in the territories in which the aggressor state has established or is trying to establish an occupation regime is revealed, and a fine line between the essence of the concept of medical neutrality and the professional activities of medical workers in the temporarily occupied territories is stated, which emphasizes the need for clarity and certainty in the presentation of legal norms to prevent human rights violations.

Informed consent is one of the key principles in safeguarding human rights in the sphere of healthcare. It presupposes the expression of the patient's free will relating to his medical examinations, treatment and diagnostic procedures, as well as the physician's duty to inform the patient on the forthcoming medical interventions, including the facts regarding the potential risks of these medical interventions. This principle is one of the elements of contemporary medical law, which has marked the transfer from paternalistic medicine to a modern model of medicine, where the patient is an active participant in the process of medical treatment. In this paper, the authors illustrate the legal aspects of safeguarding the patient's right to informed consent in the legislation and legal practices of Ukraine and the Republic of Latvia. The institute of informed consent, which needs to be safeguarded, as a key element of the legitimacy of a medical intervention (such as surgery, or vaccination), requires a specific form of fulfillment, which is conducted in writing. A medical intervention, excluding cases of emergency, is legitimate only when the consent of the patient is provided; unconsented medical interventions frequently cause lawsuits, where plaintiffs seek to recover damages for performance of a medical intervention without their informed consent. The authors have highlighted these issues while commenting on the recent case law of the Supreme Court of Ukraine and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia.

The author has hallmarked the principles of the Oviedo Convention, in particular, the preambular and Conventional axioms. The author has established, that the Oviedo Convention’s fundamental principle is the principle of human dignity, which lies in the foundation of the majority of values, which have been declared in the standard. The author has also established, that the norm-principles, which were laid down in the preamble part, and Chapter I, act through the provisions of distinct conventional institutes, for example, “Consent”, “Prohibition of discrimination”. The national case law and the normative-creational practice justifies the necessity to ratify the Oviedo Convention by Ukraine.

Briefly describe the current legal framework (all sources of law) regarding the protection and empowerment of vulnerable adults and situate this within your legal system as a whole. Consider state-ordered, voluntary and ex lege measures if applicable. Also address briefly any interaction between these measures.

UDC 616.12-007-053.1+616-053.31

Вроджені вади серця (ВВС) є найпоширенішим видом вродженої патології у дітей і охоплюють широкий спектр уражень. Вони можуть проявлятися як незначними дефектами, так і дуже складними комбінованими ураженнями, несумісними з життям. ВВС зустрічаються в середньому у 8-10 випадках на 100 живонароджених немовлят. Складність і різноманітність вад серцево-судинної системи традиційно пояснюється мультифакторною етіологією, внаслідок взаємодії між кількома генами та факторами навколишнього середовища (так звана «полігенна модель»), однак часто провідним чинником виникнення ВВС є хромосомні аномалії. Важливість вивчення хромосомної патології в контексті ВВС полягає в можливості виявлення конкретних генетичних маркерів, які можуть служити предикторами розвитку цих станів. На основі аналізу літературних даних, в статті розглянуто найбільш поширені хромосомні аномалії, їхній вплив на розвиток серцево-судинної системи дитини, висвітлено поточний стан досліджень у цій області. Наведено клінічні ознаки основних видів хромосомних аномалій, їхні серцеві та позасерцеві прояви. Встановлено, що найбільшу частку серед ВВС у пацієнтів з хромосомними аномаліями займають септальні дефекти, які зазвичай пов’язані з порушенням розвитку ендокардіальних подушок в результаті дисбалансу експресії генів, розташованих на хромосомах, що уражаються. Генетичне дослідження при вродженій патології серцево-судинної системи може потенційно покращити прогноз, надаючи цінну інформацію щодо персоналізованого медичного обслуговування, впевненості в клінічному діагнозі та спостереження за пацієнтом.

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common of all congenital abnormalities in children and cover a wide range of lesions. They can manifest as minor defects and very complex combined lesions that are incompatible with life. CHDs occur on average in 8–10 cases per 100 live births. The complexity and diversity of cardiovascular defects is traditionally explained by multifactorial etiology, due to the interaction between several genes and environmental factors (the so-called «polygenic model»), but chromosomal abnormalities are often the leading factor in the occurrence of CHDs. The importance of studying chromosomal pathology in the context of CHD lies in the possibility of identifying specific genetic markers that are predictors of the development of these conditions. The most common chromosomal abnormalities and their impact on the development of the child’s cardiovascular system are considered, and the current state of research in this area is reflected. Clinical signs of the main types of chromosomal abnormalities, their cardiac and extracardiac manifestations are presented. It is established that the largest proportion of CHDs in patients with chromosomal abnormalities are septal defects, which are usually associated with impaired development of endocardial cushions due to an imbalance in the expression of genes located on the affected chromosomes. Genetic testing for congenital cardiovascular abnormality can potentially improve prognosis by providing valuable information on personalized health care, confidence in clinical diagnosis, and patient follow-up. No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.