Newborn baby with umbilical cord still attached found abandoned inside train station
A newborn baby was found wrapped in a blanket in a busy train station in New York City during rush hour this morning - she was taken to the hospital in a stable condition
A newborn baby girl with the umbilical cord still attached has been found abandoned at a New York City train station during rush hour.
The baby, wrapped in a blanket, was found at the bottom of a staircase leading to a train platform at Penn Station on Monday morning. After the newborn was reported abandoned via an anonymous tip, the emergency services rushed to the scene and took her to a local hospital.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said the baby was "conscious and alert" when she was found and once at Bellevue Hospital, her condition was said to be stable. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, according to US media.
The New York Post reported that the NYPD is now sifting through surveillance footage to find out who left the infant behind. No information on any individual who may have left the baby in the subway has been released.
New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said: "I'm calling it the 'Miracle on 34th Street', maybe just a little earlier, we had an infant that was reported anonymously at the 34th Street station, when the FDNY and police department responded, they found a baby that was unattended."
Under New York State's Abandoned Infant Protection Act, a parent can abandon a newborn baby up to 20 days old and without fear of prosecution, as long as the child is abandoned in a safe manner at a suitable location. This may include a hospital, staffed police station or a fire station.
Last month, a newborn baby girl was found abandoned in a cardboard box at the side of a road in Tuguegarao City in the Philippines. May Asuncion, a social worker from the City Social Welfare and Development Office, said the baby was stable but would remain under observation at the hospital for up to five days to ensure her continued well-being.
Chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. praised the swift response of local citizens and authorities. "This rescue reflects the sense of care and responsibility that President Marcos expects from our law enforcement officers. Every life is valuable, and the PNP will not rest until we identify the individual who abandoned this child," he said in the Philippine National Police's official statement.
A police spokesperson echoed the sentiment, saying: "Thanks to the quick action of our fellow citizens, this baby's life was saved. We urge anyone with relevant information to come forward so that justice can be served and the child can receive the care she deserves."