Abandoned baby Elsa leaves hospital with foster parents
A newborn baby found in east London has been placed in foster care following a stint in hospital.
Baby Elsa was discovered by a dog walker last Thursday, wrapped in a towel inside a shopping bag in Newham in sub-zero temperatures.
East London Family Court heard there was no information about Elsaâs identity, and that her parents had not come forward, according to the BBC.
In response to a request by Newham Borough Council, Judge Carol Atkinson issued an interim care order for the baby.
The police have appealed to Elsaâs mother to come forward and ae encouraging her to get in touch by phone, or to confirm her identity via a hospital or police station.
Court documents, which were seen by the BBC, suggest the baby was very cold when she was found.
She was born approximately hour before she was abandoned and still had her umbilical cord.
Doctors believe she had been carried to full-term, and weighed 6lbs 6oz (2.9kg) when discovered.
They named her Elsa after Disneyâs Frozen princess, in reference to the cold weather.
She was deemed medically fit on Tuesday, was discharged to foster parents who had been visiting her in hospital.
During the hearing on Thursday, Elsaâs court-appointed guardian asked to change her name.
The guardianâs barrister said the name could have an impact on her when she is older as it might be seen as âgimmickyâ.
But the judge disagreed and said the name she was given when found could be âsomething they can hang on toâ.
Very few babies are recorded as abandoned at birth in England and Wales.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) published data until 2015, which showed no infants were registered as abandoned for the previous three years, and only one logged as abandoned in 2011.
A second hearing at East London Family Court will take place in a few weeksâ time.
