Newborn Survives Being Left in Trash Bin

A newborn girl found in a dumpster in Lawndale was reported to be in good condition at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center on Friday, as authorities continued to seek information about her mother and her medical history.

The infant, born with six toes on each foot, was found by a passerby Wednesday morning, apparently just hours after her birth, said Lili Ahmadi, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Children’s Services.

The child was found only by chance in a trash bin behind the El Camino Village Apartments in the 14000 block of Lemoli Street, she added.

“Somebody was looking for recyclables, went to the dumpster (and) found the baby with trash over her,” Ahmadi said. “He heard a noise and assumed it was a cat, but when he searched further, he found a baby there.

“The baby’s umbilical cord and placenta were still intact,” Ahmadi said. “The baby is very lucky somebody found her in a timely way.”

Ahmadi said the hospital was testing for drugs, such as cocaine, in the baby’s system, but the results were not yet confirmed and it was unclear whether the mother’s use of a drug might have caused the baby to have extra toes.

In some families of African American ancestry a sixth toe on each foot is not uncommon, Ahmadi said. Usually, the extra toes can be safely removed by a surgeon.

Children’s Services officials at a news conference Friday asked for information about the mother or about the baby’s medical history. Though in good condition, she was being given antibiotics as a precaution, Ahmadi said.

“Most cases of child abandonment occur when the mother is a minor herself, or an illegal immigrant,” Ahmadi said. She said 13 abandoned infants were found in Los Angeles last year.