Cooks River, Earlwood: Major update in urgent effort for baby delivered along Sydney reiverbank

Fears for the safety of a mother and her newborn remain, almost seven days after a placenta and umbilical cord were found on a Sydney riverbank.

Investigators have yet to track down the woman or child, almost three days after a dog walker found a placenta and umbilical cord on the banks of the Cooks River in Earlwood.

Testing of the material showed that the placenta and umbilical cord belonged to a boy, police said Thursday.

Authorities fear for the safety of the mother and newborn since the discovery on Monday afternoon.

The mother is urged to seek medical attention at a nearby hospital as police insist her and her son’s health remains their top priority.

Police started looking for the woman and her son after a placenta and umbilical cord were found next to the river by a dog walker last Monday morning (photo)

Leading midwife in Sydney Dr. Stephen Morris told Daily Mail Australia that there is a risk of the mother developing an infection ten days after giving birth due to the unsanitary conditions of the river.

Parts of the Cooks River are heavily polluted due to traffic congestion, litter, sewage, illegal dumping and industrial and domestic activities.

“Water births are usually just tap water, and you can give birth in the ocean because of the salt water, but a river is usually the worst place to give birth,” Dr. Morris said.

Expert obstetrician Dr Stephen Morris (pictured) says a mother who gave birth along the Cooks River could soon be at risk of fatal infection

‘The uterus is a bit of an open wound that leaks out of the vagina, and so if you immerse yourself in that water it would be more dangerous.

‘So if she went swimming or immersed her body in the river, it increased the risk of becoming unwell with an infection in the womb.’

Dr. Morris explained that if the mother becomes infected, she may feel feverish, and without medical treatment this can progress to sepsis.

He added that the lack of excess blood would most likely mean there were no complications during birth.

“It doesn’t sound like she was bleeding as there was no excessive blood in the area, and she didn’t show up to hospital unwell unless she was deceased,” Dr Morris said.

“As for the baby, he’s having breast milk, which should be fine, assuming he doesn’t get too cold,” Dr. Morris said.

A massive search of the area on Tuesday did not turn up any evidence that the baby had been injured, nor did it provide any immediate clues as to why the placenta and umbilical cord were left there.

Police divers and a blood sniffer dog were called in before the search concluded later that afternoon.

Tony Robson, who made the initial discovery, said the placenta and umbilical cord were not hidden but simply placed on top of the riverbank.

“It’s a remote dead-end spot… the (dogs) were off leash and were having a bit of a romp and (one dog) jumped into the mangroves and saw something,” he told Seven News.

“(It was) low tide, so he was just sitting on top of the mud, the water was quite a way away… I saw three births, you know what you’re looking at.”

On Tuesday, police identified a possible cemetery near the riverbank.

But it turned out to be a false alarm, with a cat discovered that had recently been buried.

Researchers have suggested that the woman threw away the placenta and umbilical cord near the river because she did not want anyone to know about the baby.

“Childbirth can be a traumatic time for many people, and it can be very distressing… I am very concerned for the safety and mental health of the mother,” Chief Inspector Christine McDonald previously said.

“There is no judgement, they need to know we are concerned about them.”

The placenta and umbilical cord were found not far from a sports field and Islamic center on Lang Rd, close to a busy pedestrian bridge frequented by walkers, joggers and cyclists.

The Cooks River flows from Yagoona in the far south west of Sydney and empties into Botany Bay at Kyeemagh, 23 km away.