Deformed Pup- what should I do?

[TJ's Rodent Ranch]

My pair of gerbils, Oji (mom) and Egburt (dad) had a litter of six babies today. 
One of the babies is deformed in the head and I'm not sure what to do. I'll see if I can get a picture, but I don't want to disturb Oji further. The skin around over the top of its nose wasn't fully formed, so part of the skull is visible. In humans, at least, this is considered fatal, and most often (because of all the delicate tissue, bone, and nerve in the face) they won't even operate, and instead will starve the child. I'm fairly positive that this baby won't make it- if not from death in simply being unable to function properly, then from an infection later on in life. 
Of course, if it does grow up and survive, it will always have a very fragile life, and if ill won't survive then. 
So, I'm now facing the difficult decision of euthanizing a pup. 

I don't think it's practical to take a day-old pup to the vet to be euthanized for many, many reasons. However, my first question is this: do you think I should step in, or should I step back and let what's going to happen, happen? 
If I am going to step in, I'm not sure how to. I feel like taking a pup away from its mother for the CO² method, or to starve it would be just as cruel, since it would be so stressed without its mother, and then starving. I'm wondering which would be worse: to take it away from its mom, or to leave it there and let it die from whatever would happen.
I honestly don't know, and if someone can recommend another method of euthanization, I'm really open to anything. But if this gerbil is going to die, I just want it to be as painless as possible.

[catnut]

sorry to hear about the pup, i would phone your vets' office to see what they would do- it would probably be best to have it euthanized to save it from suffering but if you feel it would feel better to be with the rest of the family and let nature takes' its' course, then i would feel that isn't wrong as that is what i would do as long as it didn't seem stressed or left to die on its' own in a corner. Take care.

[TJ's Rodent Ranch]

Unfortunately, the pup died today.
I hoped that I would be able to help, but I'm glad that it didn't take too long.
Anyway, catnut, thank you for your response. I really appreciate it, and if it hadn't passed today, I think it definitely would have helped the little guy.

[LilyandDaisy]

I'm so sorry to hear about the pup. I expect it's also a relief that nature has taken its course while the pup was with its family. Perhaps the kindest thing that could have happened.

[betty]

Oh no - that is very sad indeed.

So many things happen in nature that we don't see or we can't fix, so thankfully this pup didn't suffer long or potentially even know that anything was 'wrong' before passing.

Like you say, thank goodness it happened so quickly. Poor little thing.

[TJ's Rodent Ranch]

that's so true. I believe it was probably the easiest thing, and when I made this thread I knew that it was a possibility that it would pass before I even had time to do anything, but I didn't want it to suffer, so I made this thread hoping that if needed, I would have a plan.
It's so true that things like this happen in nature so commonly, and I think sometimes I lose sight of that, and you're right that he probably didn't consciously suffer.
Either way, he's in little gerbily heaven now