Week-old girl found at lift landing

SINGAPORE - As one baby made local headlines for being the first to arrive on National Day, another had a completely different start.

A baby girl was found abandoned at a block of HDB flats in Serangoon. The police said she was found by a passer-by at 2pm on Thursday. Believed to be about a week old, she had been left at a lift landing at Block 203, Serangoon Central.

She was wearing a white jumper and diapers, and wrapped in a light blue cloth and a black scarf.

There was even a pacifier.

Cases of babies being abandoned are relatively rare in Singapore. The last report of an abandoned baby was in April 2011.

In that case, a retiree heard sounds coming out of a planter box in a Eunos rooftop garden.

The child's head and torso had been buried in 5cm of soil, but was alive when he was pulled out.

If the authorities cannot find the parents of abandoned babies, or if they are deemed to be unfit parents, the infants are put up for adoption.

Appeal

The police are appealing for information on the Serangoon baby's next of kin.

Those with information can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or go to the CrimeStopper portal at https://app.spf.gov.sg/CrimeStopper/CrimeStopper.aspx

All information will be kept confidential.

Meanwhile, baby Cayden New had a perfect start as Singapore's first National Day baby this year.

The 2.7kg bundle of joy was born at midnight, at Mount Alvernia Hospital, after a five-hour natural birth.

According to reports, he arrived 15 days before his due date on Aug 24, and surprised his parents, housewife Katherine Tan, 37, and electronics distributor Gavin New, 38. Cayden has an older brother, seven-year-old Brandon.

The first National Day baby girl, Annabella Ter, was born at 12:10am at Thomson Medical Centre. She weighs 3.2kg.

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