Newborn Girl Found In Drain In Andhra Pradesh, Rescued By Locals

A newborn girl was found in a drain near a hospital in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday morning. The baby was rescued by locals who heard her cries and alerted the police.

The baby was found covered in mud and dirt. Locals took her out of the drain, wrapped her in cloth, and took her to the hospital.

"We were on a morning walk when we heard the baby's cries. When we looked for the source of the cries, we found the baby in the drain and took her out," said a man who lives on the same street.

The newborn girl, who is said to be stable, has been placed in the Newborn Stabilisation Unit of the Palamner area hospital. The medical officer said that a woman had come to the hospital bleeding at around 4:30 am and had claimed that her newborn baby had died. However, two hours later, the same baby was brought to the hospital.

"We have put the baby under observation. She is doing fine," a doctor said. 

A senior Palamner police official told NDTV that it appeared that the woman who came to the hospital and admitted herself was indeed the mother of the abandoned baby. 

"She said that she came from Karnataka, and when she went to the washroom, she gave birth and left the baby there. The baby has been handed over to the care of the ICDS officers, and the child welfare committee will take a decision," he said. 

The Child Welfare Committee will assess the capability and will of the mother to care for her child, given that she has already abandoned the baby once. 

They will make a decision on whether she should regain custody of her biological daughter after considering all the relevant factors, including the reasons for her abandoning the baby, the police said.