Newborn baby found in trash in Kastamonu fighting for life: 'Intubated due to respiratory distress'

A newborn baby boy found wrapped in a trash bag next to a dumpster in Kastamonu has been intubated at the hospital.

Pediatric Specialist Dr. Cansu Aydın, Head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, stated that when the newborn arrived at the hospital, he had bruises on his head from being thrown into the trash vertically and that his body temperature was very low.

The newborn was found by citizens on Karadut Street in the Kuzeykent neighborhood of Kastamonu, left next to a trash container wrapped in a garbage bag. The baby was taken to Kastamonu Training and Research Hospital by medical teams, where he was intubated and placed under treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit.

"BODY TEMPERATURE IS BEING RAISED"

Providing a statement on the newborn's health status, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Head Pediatric Specialist Dr. Cansu Aydın said, “We have a baby who was reportedly found in the trash. I took over the care of our baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The baby's general condition remains critical. There was a very serious heat loss; our baby arrived with a very low body temperature. We are doing our best and are gradually raising our baby's body temperature. I can say that his current condition is slightly better compared to when he first arrived, but our baby's condition is still very critical.”

INTUBATED AND IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Stating that they are monitoring the baby while he is intubated due to respiratory distress, Dr. Aydın said, “When the baby first arrived, his breathing was fine because his body temperature was very low. However, as his body temperature rose, the baby developed respiratory distress. We are currently monitoring the baby's condition while he is intubated. We do not know when the baby was born or how many weeks old he is. He weighed 1,995 grams when he arrived. We estimate that we reached the baby about 3-4 hours later. The baby entered our emergency department as of 20.00 last night. We performed our initial interventions.”

"THERE WERE BRUISES ON HIS HEAD"

Stating that the newborn likely had bruises on his head because he was thrown into the trash vertically, Dr. Aydın said, “There were two bruises on his head, likely because he went into the trash vertically. Other than that, no other ailments were visible in the baby. His initial ultrasounds did not show any internal bleeding or anything similar. We are currently seeing complications due to hypothermia, meaning his body temperature was very low. His blood values are slightly impaired, his circulatory system is impaired, and his breathing is labored. Other than that, our baby is currently stable. His urine output is a bit low; there might be a possibility that our baby will need dialysis. We will evaluate him based on his general condition in the coming process. We do not know his nationality. We know that the baby is a bit small in terms of gestational age.”

Meanwhile, the Kastamonu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Kastamonu Provincial Police Department are continuing their investigation and research into who or whom abandoned the newborn in the trash.