Baby ‘Sophia’ well as plea to mother continues

NURSES caring for the abandoned baby girl found in a hold-all on top of a car in Cork on Monday have named her Sophia.

The healthy baby, just three or four days old, is expected to be put into temporary foster care while gardaí continue an appeal for her mother to come forward.

Gardaí promised the matter would be dealt with in the strictest confidence and the mother would be treated with the utmost compassion.

The mother, who could be suffering from post-natal syndrome, has also been advised to seek medical help.

Staff at the South Infirmary Hospital were alerted on Monday to the unclothed baby girl lying in a blue hold-all on the boot of an Audi car. The baby was taken to Cork University Hospital where staff reported she was in healthy condition.

South Infirmary chief executive Gerard O’Callaghan said the baby was discovered by a kitchen porter Matt Shields possibly within minutes of being abandoned.

“I think whoever left her there wanted the baby to be found,” he said.

Security footage is being scanned by gardaí in a bid to trace the person who left the child in the car park. Detectives revealed the CCTV tape was not clear enough to identify a woman seen near the car park before the discovery.

An appeal has also been made to at taxi or hackney drivers who may have dropped off a fare at the hospital around 12.45pm.

Cork University Hospital also urged the mother to come forward. A spokesperson said: “You have a beautiful, healthy, baby girl and we just want to reunite you.”