Teenage girl abandons her newborn baby boy after delivery at a health centre in Cross River

A teenager identified as Mary Bassey abandoned her newborn baby after delivery at Anderson Primary Health Center, in the creeks of Calabar South, Cross River State on Tuesday morning, March 20.

The Director-General, Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu, who rescued the newborn baby boy has named him Anderson Ayade.


According to the staff on duty during the incident, Mrs Elizabeth Offiong, a Chief Community Health Officer said on her arrival at the health centre by 7.35am she met a young teenage girl at the doorpost of the facility lamenting over lower abdominal pains.

"I thought it was an infection because most teenage girls here have STIs and will usually reject condom, but when she was examined, I found out the young girl was pregnant and was passing through labour. Not quite long, she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy in our ward", says Madam Elizabeth.

Madam Elizabeth said after giving birth the teenage girl refused to undergo series of tests as she outrightly rejected the food bought for her.

"She refused all our offers to treat her and rather insisted that she doesn't want the child."

Mrs Elizabeth also stated that the teenage girl who gave her name as Mary Bassey residing at No.5 Edem Nsa Street threatened to dump the baby in the gutter if the Government does not take ownership of the child.

All effort to persuade her to receive treatment was unsuccessful as she quietly ran away and abandoned her newborn baby.

She noted that all attempts to locate the residential address given by the teenage mother became unfruitful as such address and name did not exist in Bayside, Calabar South LGA.