Newborn survives 26 stab wounds

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) -- A newborn Indian baby found abandoned with 26 stab wounds has survived, doctors said on Wednesday, despite a cracked skull and exposed intestines.

The baby boy, who doctors said was aged between one and two days, was discovered soaked in blood at a garbage dump in India's financial capital of Mumbai on Tuesday, they said.

His intestines were hanging out from a deep wound on his back and he had dirt and garbage stuck on him.

"When he was brought in he looked pale from blood loss," said Ramesh Hatti, a doctor at a city hospital.

"He is still in a lot of pain but is now stable."

Police have not been able to trace the baby's parents or establish a reason for the attack.

Babies are sometimes abandoned by unwed Indian mothers, who fear severe social repercussions for having a child out of wedlock. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.