AN unmarried young woman who had been seen sleeping on the street in Bao’an District for months gave birth to a girl Wednesday night, but the newborn’s grandfather said that they hoped someone would adopt her since the family can’t afford to raise her, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

    The 22-year-old new mother, identified as Xiaofu, gave birth to her daughter at around 9 p.m. Wednesday in a rental apartment where she and her father are temporarily living.

    Later, Xiaofu and the baby were taken to Shajing People’s Hospital where they received emergency treatment and an examination. Both the mother and the newborn were in good condition.

    Since Xiaofu and her father have not prepared anything before the labor, the newborn didn’t even have a piece of cloth to cover her body, nor a diaper, formula powder or any other maternal supplies.

    It was reported that Xiaofu had not shown too much care or attention to the newborn, and her father was taking care of the baby.

    When asked how they would name the newborn, Xiaofu’s father said that he didn’t want to name her and hoped some kind people would adopt the child and offer her a home, because they didn’t have any income to raise her.

    Xiaofu has been spotted sleeping on a wooden couch at night in Shajing Subdistrict, before her father recently came back from Futian Province to take care of her.

    The single mother was spotted wandering around shopping malls and supermarkets in the neighborhood and sometimes watching television in front of a convenience store during the day, and going to the couch to sleep around midnight.

    Xiaofu was found eight or nine months pregnant earlier this month, but she refused to tell anyone about the child’s father. Though no one knows the young woman, the neighbors attempted to help her.

    The rumor is that Xiaofu was dating a man she had met online, and they had lived together for two months. Others said that Xiaofu had worked as a baby-sitter before, and her employer was the child’s father.

    Some suspected Xiaofu had been suffering from mental illness as residents living in the neighborhood saw her sometimes smiling to herself, but there is no medical evidence to prove it.

    The father wasn’t in Shenzhen until recently after being contacted by some volunteers.

    (Zhang Qian)