http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,197147,00.html?
Umbilical cord was still attached
Cleaner finds baby in airport bin wrapped in multiple bags
By Vivien Chan and Joanna Hor
March 28, 2009
ABANDONED: A dustbin similar to the one in which the baby was found. TNP PICTURE: JOANNA HOR
BAGS are a common sight at Changi Airport, even within the transit area.
But one cleaner will never forget what she found in a bag within a bag, within a trash bag.
Her curiosity was first pricked when, in clearing trash from a rubbish bin at Terminal One's transit area, she picked up an unusually heavy trash bag.
It was around 8.20pm on Wednesday. The cleaner, a Chinese national who gave her name only as Ms Han, went around the transit area near Gates 38 and 39 clearing trash from rubbish bins.
Speaking to The New Paper on the phone yesterday, she said in Mandarin: 'I lifted the trash bag from a bin outside the storeroom.' Ms Han, who is from Hebei, estimated that the trash bag weighed about 7kg.
'When I looked into the bag, I saw another black bag inside. I opened the black bag and found a blue bag inside,' she said. When she opened the blue bag, she found a fair-skinned baby boy.
'He was lying on his side, and the umbilical cord was still attached,' she said.
'There was no blood on it.'
The baby was not crying, and Ms Han said she did not know if the baby was dead or alive.
She froze for a few moments, shocked by the discovery. She said there was 'nobody else around' to tell. She called her supervisor, who then called the police.
The police said they were notified around 9pm.
The New Paper understands that the baby had no heartbeat when the police arrived.
He was taken to Changi General Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9.40pm on Wednesday.
Ms Han, who has been working at the airport for about 15 months, said she was so traumatised by the incident that she took the day off yesterday.
She sounded shaken over the phone when we spoke to her.
'I'm so scared, I don't think I will be going to work today, but I will go back tomorrow.'
When word got around of the find on Wednesday, another cleaner recalled cleaning up a pool of blood. This was on the toilet floor in the same transit area, but some distance away from where the baby was found.
At the time, she had thought that the mess may have been left by a menstruating passenger. She did not tell anyone about it then.
Who is the mother?
It was only about four hours later, when she heard of the discovery of the abandoned baby, that she realised the bleeding could have been caused by childbirth.
The identity of the baby's mother remains a mystery. Is she an airport worker? Or a passenger? A Singaporean or a foreigner?
Could she have been in transit?
Dr Lee Keen Whye, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, told The New Paper that most airport authorities do not allow women who are more than 28 weeks pregnant to fly.
But there are exceptions, he added.
Dr Lee, who has 26 years of specialist experience, said: 'Women who are going back to their home country to deliver are allowed to fly when their doctors approve.
'However, I usually advise my patients not to fly throughout their entire pregnancy.'
Police said they are still investigating.
Under Section 317 of the Penal Code, anyone convicted of abandoning a child in his or her care can be jailed for up to seven years and/or fined.
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HOW TO GET HELP
National Pregnancy Helpline: 1800 686 8623
Babes Teens SMS Helpline: 8111 3535
Child Protection and Welfare Service at MCYS: 1800 258 6378
Sanctuary House hotline: 9817 0588
Family Life Centre hotline: 6846 2061
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Previous cases of abandoned babies
6 Mar 2009: Baby found dead by a technician in an electrical riser at an HDB block at Jurong West.
12 Oct 2008: Sleeping baby - with umbilical cord still attached - discovered by a cleaner at a rubbish dump on Teck Whye Lane.
4 Jan 2008: A two-month-old baby boy in a picnic basket was found at the gate of the Khalsa Dharmak Sabha temple on Niven Road.
31 Oct 2007: A waste collector found a dead baby boy - umbilical cord still attached - at a bin collection centre on Havelock Road.
