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Moscow authorities investigate death of five preterm babies

KRASNOGORSK (the Moscow region), October 7 (Itar-Tass) - The Moscow authorities have taken an investigation into the death of five preterm babies in the Moscow suburb of Balashikha under personal control.

Investigators told Itar-Tass that the corpses of five premature infants had been found in a garbage container in the Saltykovka neighborhood of Balashikha at around 9 o’clock in the morning. They were wrapped up in nappies and a bundle.

According to preliminary reports, the embryos could be six or seven months old. The bodies have been sent to a morgue for forensic examination with an aim to establish the cause of death.

A criminal investigation is under way.

“We have taken the investigation under our control. This case is extraordinary. Figures show a decline in the number of cases when mothers abandon their babies in maternity homes or try to get rid of them. Almost every maternity home has psychologists who conduct explanatory conversations with would-be mothers,” Lidiya Antonova, the first deputy head of the government of the Moscow region, said.

“Not only residents of the Moscow region give birth in our maternity homes, which also cater for women from migrant families and people from other parts of Russia. It is very important to stop a young mother at the difficult moment and give her a chance to think,” Antonova added. She said that she had been shocked by the incident in Saltykovka.

“I think that this is terrible news. But I think that we are going to analyze the situation. One thing is clear: we should not stop and should continue working with women,” Antonova emphasized.