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Subscribe to RSSThe baby girl was discovered by pets that had picked up on her scent coming from the bag. Keith Garvin of NBC station KPRC reports.
Child welfare officials have taken custody of a newborn girl who was found abandoned in a plastic grocery bag by passing dogs in Cypress, Texas.
The infant was in good condition at Texas Children's Hospital but was lucky to be alive, doctors and law enforcement officials said.
"If it had not have been for the resident that came out to walk her dogs, that child may have laid there all night (and) possibly would have died," said Harris County sheriff's Sgt. Gordon Trott told NBC station KPRC of Houston.
The girl was found by a fence about 7 p.m. (8 p.m. ET) Tuesday near an apartment complex in Cypress, a city of 57,000 about 25 miles northwest of Houston. Overnight low temperatures there have dropped into the low 40s in recent days.
About 3 inches of her umbilical cord was still attached, and while it had been cut, it hadn't been clamped, Trott said. That made her situation especially perilous.
"If the cord is not clamped before it's cut, there is a risk of the baby bleeding out through the unclamped cord, which could have led to a baby's death," Tiffany McKee-Garrett, a pediatrician at Texas Children's Hospital, told KPRC.
Sheriff's deputies were still searching Thursday for the baby's mother, who they said could face a felony child endangerment charge.
Child welfare officials said they were perplexed by the case, because Texas law allows anyone to drop off a newborn at a hospital or a fire station — no questions asked.
"All you have to do is hand the baby over," said Gwen Carter, a spokeswoman for Harris County Child Protective Services.
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Has anyone stopped to think that maybe they should be looking for the body of the mother also? There's no evidence that she is alive or dead. There aren't enough details to suggest that this "mother" was the one that actually did this to the child. Everyone is always so quick to judge, however this woman may be in need of medical care or worse she may be dead. So get a grip and quit judging.
Good point Jenn. But if this mother did in fact leave this baby to die, it places her down with the lowest of the low. Has nothing to do with religion. That's just fabrication.
Unfortunately, in the vast majority of abandoned babies, it is the mother who is responsible. It is a possibility, but a very unlikely one, that it was someone else.
Occam's razor says it was the mother.
Casey Anthony !!!
Jennifer <~> <~> <~> No! I hadn't thought of that. I should have because just within the last few weeks there was a similar case in my own city. It was my city, but it made national news, if not international. The circumstances were somewhat different and the person(s) who abandoned the baby seems to have taken pains to assure it was in a reasonably protected environment, though not absolutely safe. But for some days, before the mother's body was found, there were all sorts of harsh condemnation thrown her way.
Another possibility for this child's birth and abandonment: Mother is an immigrant (illegal or otherwise) who knows little English, was raped, and dumped her baby because she did not know she could hand it over safely to a hospital.
Second possibility: the child is the product of sexual abuse via a male family member and it was that abuser who dumped the baby to get rid of evidence as well as commit murder. For all we know the mother is in danger as well.
We don't have any facts about this baby's origin, only speculation. While the teen mom theory is the most likely, its not the only explanation. Just my two cents.
O.M.G. what is wrong with these people? Why would she do this after carrying the child for nine months? I sure hope the baby is ok and they find out who the mother is so they can get this sorted out.
"Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4
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"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8
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Bible.cc
And, child molesters, too. Don't forget them, especially as they have such a close relationship to the church, and the Boy Scouts, and so on.
God doesn't have much of a problem letting molesters make little girls pregnant and them leaving a pregnant child who doesn't have a clue, to deal with the mess.
Ain't God wonderful?
To Vivian, I can't believe your stupid comments, you are sorry for the mother[ if that is what you want to call her] and babies cry and are annoying. Guess when you were a baby you didn't cry ,didn't need a diaper change and you weren't annoying. Please if you can't make an intelligent comment keep your comments to yourself. Think of all the women who would give anything to have a baby and hear it cry. Or the women who have lost children and would give anything to have them back whether they are crying or annoying. The children killed in their school, their mothers would give their lives to have those children alive and you feel sorry for a mother who left a newborn in the cold in a plastic bag. As far as I am concerned she could have at least called a church, hospital or the authorities to let them know where the baby was left. Maybe she will bleed to death after giving birth but probably not the selfish -itch will get help for herself the hell with a baby. Some human beings are a waste. Glad the dogs found her,hope she is adopted by a wonderful family and she grows up with a puppy.
Amazing how a person can have so much compassion and yet, have no compassion.
I have compassion for you. You have a heart that is two sizes too small.
Said dogs also very hungry after humans confiscated their find.
The article says that you can just drop off a baby at the hospital or Firehouse, no questions asked. Doesn't anyone take Psychology? The mother feels guilty enough without having to face another person or be documented by security cameras. Find a way for these mothers to leave a baby without having to face anyone, or possibly be documented by security cameras and they will most likely leave a baby where it can be found. Ie: Leave a baby in a place that is "safe" & let the mother call 911 from a pay phone to alert the police to pick up the baby.
People need to remember the thirteen year old girls don't have a car.
They also have brains that are not fully developed, and do not have the maturity to make responsible decisions. That's WHY they have parents. And, they may not know about the laws for leaving babies in a safe place. THEY ARE CHILDREN.
And thirteen year old children need to be reminded they shouldn't be having sex if they can't deal with the consequences. After all children shouldn't be having sex should they oh wait I forgot they don't have cars to drop a baby off in a safe place but amazingly they can find places to have sex. Give me a break.
Yes, because blaming the victim is always a classy thing to do.
This story has brought me to tears. She's alive, God be praised! I'm sure the phones have lit up the Child Welfare Dept. of people wanting to adopt her. I hope she's placed in a very good and loving home.
Peace.
Possibly HELL bound, so sick some people, and then some are truly evil and we do little to prosecute.
want to bet it was an African AMerican that left the baby?? They are the only uneducated ones that would do something like this
While it won't be me. Someone should pray for you in hope that your ignorance evaporates in a timely matter. It is obvious that you can only communicate in hurtful or harmful ways to seek attention hopefully findings other misfits to build on your hate within. I'll just shake my head and hope you just die off like others who came before you, spread their poison, passed their demon seeds to the likes of you. For now I'll just turn the other cheek. Conflict can only come when two parties agree to fight. You are alone here and that must be scary and sorry...
Seems like we forgot the family in this blame game. What about a situation when this mother was so scared or so ashamed that she couldn't got to someone inside or out of her family? What does this say for education that starts at home. forget the school system, forget the religions, we've got a village situation here that's being overlooked. Teach trust, teach compassion, and maybe she or the next one will at least have the confidence to consult someone to properly hand over a child is a safe matter if that's the intent.
It says that as long as there is one parent out there who does not do the job right, that this will continue to happen, UNLESS we do try to tackle this issue in our schools, where we can reach the children, whose parents aren't doing their jobs. Because, clearly, there are parents out there who do not do their jobs.
That's what it says.
why wait to have the child if just to abandon it ? this is why we need to let the mother decide what to do not demand the female to carry the child to term !!! if the pro lifers get their way more women will do what she did or possibly worse
For a thirteen year old child, scared to tell her parents, abortion is not an option, either. Safe harbor is not an option because she does not have a car, and besides, she just gave birth and isn't up to running all over town.
It's easy to heap blame on a scared and confused child, when disaster strikes after a child has been abandoned and not cared for properly, allowed to become pregnant and left on her own to deal with it.
I don't know how old the mother was, but it has all the signs of a young, confused, overhwhelmed child.
ill bet an illegal alien and now we will have to foot the bill for everything??? if located she should be shot on the spot! ! !! ! what kind of a whore would do this?????
Don't rush to judgement, we don't know anything about the mother or the circumstances of the birth. We need to get the word out about the "safe havens" and encourage these desperate moms to go to one of them and surrender her child.
"Could of?"
Uh, NBC? Editor? You need to return your salaries. You're being paid far too much.
Let's try, "could have."
Dopes.
I read some of the comments, based on the commenter's own emotional reaction, some are very nasty. Consider that this unidentified mother was terrified to be found out that she had been pregnant. How many times have we heard about girls being in deep denial and/or hiding the pregnancy from everyone until the birth? Once case I recall was a girl who played in a basketball game and then went to the hosp to deliver; no one knew she was pregnant. Denial, fear of being found out, no knowledge of what to do after a delivery, not thinking clearly enough to leave the baby at a fire station, etc; if she even knew that option existed, terror can cloud the mind, let alone the physical stress of delivery. They don't call it labor for nothing. I'm saying it was a girl because I'm guessing it was that young of a female.
I couldn't agree more.
I believe if more information was posted and made available to people (I don't want to say advertised) about these "safe havens" there wouldn't be mother's harming their children. Unfortunately, not a lot of people know about this law allowing people to leave a child of any age I believe at a safe haven location. There needs to be more attention drawn to these places so these incidents can possibly decrease.
"which could OF led to a baby's death." Are you joking? How did this mistake get past the editors? NBC would actually hire a writer (freelance or otherwise) that doesn't even know have to properly use the phrase "could HAVE?" What a joke.
To Jim436431(and anyone else who agrees with him)-- How DARE you tried to excuse this woman for her actions!! I don't give a damn about her upbringing or her religion or anything else about her. ANY human being knows it's wrong to throw away a human life!!! Anyone who could possibly look in their newborn's eyes and just leave it out on the street like garbage deserves to die--no questions asked--PERIOD!!!!
frustrated--------You said "ANY human being knows it's wrong to throw away a human life!!!" <<<~~~>>> Uh, yeah! But apparently some human beings don't know it is wrong to condemn a mother who abandons her baby, maybe and maybe not, when she is under deep pressure, but it is just hoakie doakie to let the father dance free.
While I absolutely believe the Mother to be wrong in disposing of a baby this way, I find it interesting that it would be regaled as a felony, when if the Mother was to of had an abortion just the day before delivery, that would have been legal~
Unsanitary = felony.
By doctors hand = oky doky.
You have a point. It appears timing and cleanliness are the key to killing the unborn. Don't purchase the "Abortion for dummies" book.
They're not 'unborn' - they're a clump of parasitic cells until around week 25, you dolt. I'll also note that while you're sitting there crying into your Children's Big Print Bible (given to you by Pastor Joe), you seem to have missed that late-term abortions are all for health reasons, and account for less than 3% of abortions overall.
Funny how allot of these comments are slamming religions or other people. I’m not one
to praise this woman for doing what she did nor am I here to praise any of you.
You are all preaching and teaching to each other. But the problem here is that
none of you seem truly concerned about what the story is about. Why must all
arguments revolve around god? It’s not the schools job to teach sex ed, it’s
the parents job. My parents taught me more than my sex ed class did. I actually
remember getting a toothbrush and pads in my class, while the boys in the other
room watched a action movie........ My parents told me to not have sex before I
was married or at least until I found someone I cared about. That didn’t stop
me from doing what most teens seam to do today when they find the one they love
for that month, but I did however make sure I was protected. For that I thank my family not school
It's very nice that you had parents to do this for you.
So many do not.
What about them?
THIS is what happens to them.
School sex ed classes are better than the alternative, which is.... NOTHING.
I dont care how old you are or what religion you believe in, that innocent child should of never been left behind. That mother should of gave it up for adoption or if she had the priviledge to drop it off at the hospital she should of done that. What kind of human are you to leave a precious miracle out in the cold. There are so many couples out there who aren't able to concieve and wish to have that kind of miracle in their life. I pray that the mother is found and toss in JAIL. That baby girl could of died. I'm glad the owner took their dog for a walk. THANKS to the dogs and owner for finding this precious baby.
If the mother was a minor, then it is the PARENTS of the minor child who are responsible for this situation.
M. ALEX JOHNSON. Where did you learn english composition. It is not "the baby could OF died" but "The baby could HAVE died".
You need to go back to the third grade and start over.
Tubes tied is the answer here. She shouldn't be allowed to have any more kids the rest of her life. Maybe that's too cruel though, putting a baby in a plastic bag is better. Right? Once this woman finds out she can get a welfare check for the baby she will want the baby back. AND they will give it to her, sure bet.