The teenage mother of a baby who died on Friday gave birth alone and in secret in Te Puke after hiding the pregnancy from her family.
Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross said nobody had helped the 17-year-old mother deliver the baby.
"As part of that, hiding the pregnancy and the birth, no medical
assistance has been obtained," he said.
"With the subsequent death of the baby, one of the aspects of the inquiry is to determine the how, the when, the why, in terms of that death."
The 17-year-old girl delivered the baby at her family home on Maniatutu Rd, rural Te Puke early on Friday.
Mr Glencross would not give any details on the child's father.
By the time the baby was taken to Tauranga Hospital by other family members on Saturday morning, the infant was dead.
The death, and circumstances around her birth, prompted hospital staff to call police.
An investigation into the death is now into its third day, with results from a post mortem examination due back today.
No charges have been laid and police are currently seeking medical and legal advice.
Yesterday the house where the baby died was vacant of its usual residents _ the 17-year-old and her family _ and was instead swarming with police officers conducting scene examinations, assisted by Environmental Science and Research staff from Auckland.
Police also spent the day interviewing medical staff from Tauranga Hospital and the baby's family, including the mother.
No other children live at the address.
Mr Glencross told the Bay of Plenty Times, the mother of the dead infant was in fulltime work.
He would not disclose the length of time that had lapsed between the birth and the infant's arrival at hospital.
Mr Glencross said the mother and her family had been "fantastic" co-operating with police.
He said the death was a tragic situation and was easily preventable.
"If people have concerns or fears that someone they know is pregnant and is hiding that pregnancy they need to do everything possible to encourage them to be open about it," he said.
"Because you reach a point where something like this happens and it's too late. There's support, there are people who can help in this situation."
