A baby who was discovered outside a block of flats in Cypress, Texas is being cared for by hospital staff who are hoping that a rare new-born tooth could help identify her parents. Baby Chloe – as she was named by her carers – was found in a Wal-Mart bag shortly after she was abandoned, police believe, on February 19th.
In an effort to locate her parents, police are hopeful that Chloe’s tooth could help provide a link to her family history; natal teeth occur in just one in 2000 births. Investigators could not find any information on the baby’s mother because it is believed that she did not attend pre-natal care and there is no record of her pregnancy to aid the search. It is possible that relatives of the new mother will realise the natal tooth is a link to their family and will come forward to help with the investigation.
Houston police have also released composite sketches of what Chloe’s parents might look like; the pastel drawings were created by a forensic sketch artist, using the baby’s facial features as a guide. Artist Lois Gibson first did an age progression on a picture of Chloe to see what she would look like as a young woman, Gibson told the Houston Chronicle that the process was more complicated because factors such as weight gain, dyed hair, and skin complaints, would probably affect accuracy.