A baby boy found buried in a shallow grave on the outskirts of a remote Co Mayo village on Sunday was seven pounds in weight and had been born around the middle of last week, it emerged yesterday.
Following a post-mortem examination at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar, conducted by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy, the Garda officer heading the investigation said all indications were that the birth had been an unassisted one.
Chief Supt Tony McNamara repeated his concern for the health and well-being of the infant's mother and renewed his appeal for her to come forward.
"In cases like this mothers can develop complications. We are very concerned about the mother's health," he said.
The services of a female gynaecologist and a professional psychologist have been secured to attend to the mother should she come forward.
"These professionals will travel to meet this woman in any location in absolute privacy and secrecy," the chief supt said. "I can give the woman involved my personal assurance that she will be dealt with sensitively and with compassion."
The full-term infant was found by youngsters who noticed part of a black plastic bin-liner protruding from the ground at Kilgalligan, Carrowtigue, on Sunday.
The remains will be kept in the morgue at Mayo General Hospital until the Garda decide to release it for burial.
The infant is the fourth baby to have been found abandoned in Ireland in the last year. The other babies were found alive, but have not been re-united with their mothers. The HSE South Western Area, formerly known as the south western area health board, yesterday renewed an appeal for the parents of two babies abandoned in Dublin to make contact with them.
It says it wants to know what the respective parents' wishes are for the babies' future care.
One infant, known as "baby Seán", was found at a bus stop on Clanbrassil Street, Dublin 8, on Saturday February 28th last year. The other infant, known as "baby April", was discovered outside Our Lady of the Nativity Church, Leixlip, Co Kildare on Saturday April 17th, last year.
Anyone with information on the babies has been asked to contact the health board's social work departments in Dublin (01-6486663) or Naas (045 882400). A health board spokeswoman said any contact would be treated in confidence.