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Police continue a desperate search for the mother of newborn baby whose body was unearthed from a shallow sand grave at a Sydney beach yesterday.
Police said is still not known whether the baby was stillborn, died after birth or was killed.
They hope an autopsy conducted on Monday afternoon will help them determine the time and cause of the baby's death.
The baby's naked body appears to have been deliberately buried and left to be discovered 30cm under the sand by two young brothers, aged six and seven, who were digging at the foot of grassy sand dunes at the southern end of Maroubra beach on Sunday morning.
Police were soon alerted and established a crime scene at the beach.
'At this stage it's difficult to tell exactly what's happened other than it's a reasonably newborn baby,' Homicide Detective Inspector Grant Taylor told reporters yesterday.
'Whether the bub was born there or taken there, whether it was born dead or whether mum had the bub there and wandered off, we really don't know.
'It's not absolutely a homicide. It's absolutely impossible to tell at the moment.'
Police told Fairfax Media there were no visible signs of injury on the baby's body and they do not believe the infant had been dead for more than a week.
Decomposition of the body, especially after a number of hot days, made it difficult to tell the baby's sex, exact age or how long it had been buried.
Sand has been removed from the crime scene for forensic testing.
Police said they held 'grave concerns' for the baby's mother and urged her to come forward.
Eastern Beaches police Inspector Andrew Holland said: 'We hope she sought medical assistance and that she feels confident enough to contact Eastern Beaches detectives.'
Police are also checking the births registry and local hospitals to find the mother.
Police are urging anyone with information, including the child's mother, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The tragic discovery comes just a week after a newborn was found abandoned but alive in a stormwater drain at Quakers Hill in Sydney's northwest.
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Posted by Unknown on Sunday, November 30, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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