A woman who claimed she had found a newborn baby in a waste sack on an empty lot is actually the baby’s mother, say police.

The woman, whose identity was not revealed in reports, claimed she had found the newborn in a rubbish bag in Itapuranga, Goias state, west-central Brazil on Thursday, 8th September.

The baby was taken to the Municipal Hospital and was found to be in good health.

Military Police reported that the woman had heard what she thought was a cat meowing during the night, but she soon realised it was a baby crying.

She told officers that the crying had continued and she left her home to investigate.

She then claimed she had found the naked newborn baby girl in a big bag among tree branches on the empty lot next to her house and called Military Police and Child Services at around 6am.

A doctor at the Municipal Hospital revealed that the baby’s umbilical cord had likely been severed by the baby’s mother by hand.

After learning of the story, dozens of locals took clothes, nappies, creams and milk to the hospital for the newborn.

Meanwhile, Civil Police began to investigate who the baby’s mother was.

And now Civil Police say the woman who ‘found’ the girl is actually her mother.

They believe she gave birth alone in the early hours of Thursday and abandoned her newborn.

She later felt unwell and went to hospital, which is reportedly when the discovery was made.

Police spokeswoman Giovana Piloto said: “She hid the child, but pretended it wasn’t hers, pretending to have found the child.”

At the time of reporting, both mother and daughter were still in hospital, but the mother was expected to be discharged on Friday.

Deputy Piloto said none of the woman’s family had known she was pregnant.

She revealed: “Family members said they were suspicious, but she denied being pregnant. She couldn’t accept it. Nobody noticed she had had the child.”

Civil Police said the woman had only admitted to being the newborn’s mother following a lengthy conversation with the hospital’s psychologist.

Deputy Piloto said: “She sought care because she was feeling unwell and, due to her symptoms, she became one of the suspects of being the mother.

“The psychologist was called and after a long conversation she admitted it, but she had denied it the whole time beforehand.”

Child Services said the youngster’s grandmother will be temporarily responsible for her until a court rules on her custody.

The baby’s mother faces a charge of abandonment of a newborn.