Post-mortem today on newborn's body

A security guard on duty in the back yard of a house where the body of a newly born baby was discovered in Taita Drive, Lower Hutt. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a baby's body in a Lower Hutt backyard yesterday.

A security guard was last night watching over the Taita Drive property where the baby was found wrapped in a towel about 10.30am.

Taita Drive resident Maria Tagoai said her neighbour, a woman in her 50s, saw the dead baby wrapped in a towel when she went to hang out the washing yesterday morning.

Ms Tagoai said the woman and her husband, who was at work at the time, were staying with family tonight after the discovery.

Inspector Shane Cotter said the woman was shocked and distressed at the discovery.

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"Our biggest concern at this time is the health and well-being of the mother of this baby girl and whether or not she has received any immediate medical attention post birth," he said.

The baby looked to be no more than 24 hours old.

Mr Cotter said a post-mortem examination will be carried out this morning.

This should help determine if the baby was alive at the time of her birth or stillborn.

A scene examination was conducted yesterday.