Southampton: Midwives plea to mum with newborn after placenta find

The path off Dale Road was cordoned off by police following the find on Wednesday

Midwives at a hospital are appealing to the mother of a newborn baby to seek help after a placenta was found nearby.

The discovery was made in the Holly Brook Park area off Dale Road in Southampton, close to the Spire and general hospitals, on Wednesday.

Tests have confirmed the placenta is human.

The midwives at Princess Anne Hospital urged the woman to make contact and said they were ready to provide her and the baby with the support they needed.

Midwives at Princess Anne Hospital say they are ready to help support both mum and baby

Appealing to the mum, Emma Northover, director of midwifery at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), said: "We are all worried about you and we want you to get the midwifery support that you may need.

"It's important that your baby is also checked over to ensure that everything is OK and that they don't need any input from the hospital team.

"Please come to see us at Princess Anne Hospital so we can take care of you."

The appeal from the hospital said the woman could also walk into any hospital, GP or walk-in centre to seek help.

Ch Insp Marcus Kennedy said police were "increasingly concerned" for the welfare of the mother and child

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary remain in the area of Holly Brook Park.

Ch Insp Marcus Kennedy said: "We don't know what you have been through, however we expect that this must be a really distressing time for you if you have gone through this birth alone.

"That is why it is so important for you to speak to a nurse or a doctor so that they can make sure you are OK."

The officer also asked anyone who has concerns about someone who has recently been pregnant, or think may have been pregnant or given birth recently without support, to contact the force.