Toronto Baby Thought Dead Found Alive

Officials are reviewing how it happened that a baby girl was pronounced dead at a  Toronto hospital and later found to be alive as the child was covered with  a sheet.

A police officer noticed movement underneath a sheet that covered the apparently deceased infant some 90 minutes after the child had been placed there while waiting for a coroner to arrive.

The newborn is being reported as in stable condition in hospital and is  “alive and well,” said police spokeswoman Const. Wendy Drummond.  The baby girl’s mother (who has asked to remain anonymous) was also said to be stable and healthy.

The incident began Sunday morning when the child’s mother complained of  stomach pains and, along with her mother, began to walk to a local hospital.

During their walk, the 20-year-old woman gave birth to the girl on the  street near York Gate Boulevard and Finch Avenue West.

Both mother and baby were rushed to Humber River Regional Hospital’s Finch  Avenue West site after they were met by paramedics and police.

Sometime after arriving at the hospital, the child was declared dead and the  coroner was called in to investigate

Medical staff would have pronounced the child dead

At the coroner’s request, two police officers remained with the infant.  After spending at least 90 minutes alone with the child, one of the officers  discovered that the child was alive.

“One of the officers thought that they saw the sheet that was covering the  baby move, and the officers investigated and searched for a pulse and, in fact,  found one,”  Toronto police spokeswoman Const. Wendy Drummond said

Drummond said she is not aware of a criminal investigation.

“There is definitely going to be further investigation as to what transpired  and all the events leading up to this, but it was absolutely an extraordinary  day for those officers, something that they probably will never experience again  in their careers or their lifetime, and an extraordinary day for that little  baby girl,” Drummond said.