2-Day-Old Baby Found With Umbilical Cord Still Attached Had Insect Bites, Other Injuries

A 2-day-old baby girl with her umbilical cord still attached was found in a sugarcane field in India.

The newborn baby had multiple injuries and insect bite marks all over her body. The baby was found Monday night in Bareilly, a city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, by some villagers, local media outlet Jagran [Google Translate showed] reported.

"Villagers heard a baby's incessant cries and followed the sound to the sugarcane farm. It belongs to a person called Naulakhram. He and his family rescued the baby," police officer Jasvir Singh told The Times of India. "We got information on the Dial 112 emergency service and dispatched a team to the spot. The baby was taken to the district hospital."

Singh said the baby's condition when she was brought to the officers was critical.

"She has multiple injuries on her face and body. She has been bitten by insects, especially on her feet. Her umbilical cord has not been cut yet. It seems she is two days old," Dr. Alka Sharma, chief medical superintendent of the district women's hospital, told local media. "She has been kept under observation at the sick newborn care unit. She could be moved to the Rohilkhand Medical College for better treatment. She has an infection and has developed breathing complication."

The Child Welfare Committee has been informed about the incident, but no police action has been initiated so far, the authorities said. It wasn't clear when the baby was dumped in the field.

"The district probation authority has also been told about the case. A dedicated team from Childline has been monitoring her condition. Once she is better, she will be handed over to the Child Welfare Committee," Sharma added.

In May, a newborn baby was found abandoned in a desolated place in a forested area in the state of Maharashtra. The child was naked and smeared with blood when she was found by a person taking a walk in the morning. The person heard the child's cry and rushed to a nearby police station to alert the authorities. A team of women police officers rescued the child and rushed her to a local hospital. The baby was kept under observation for 48 hours. "It seems the baby was left a few hours before we found her," police constable Mamta Nakke said at the time.