Police say 22-year-old woman tried to flush newborn

Police in Iowa arrested a 22-year-old woman who gave birth in a bathroom at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics on Sunday and allegedly left the newborn in a trash bin, reports WHO-TV.

According to the authorities, Ashley Hautzenrader said she had no idea she was pregnant before the baby was born.

SEE ALSO:Beloved high school teacher dies saving pregnant waitress from stabbing

As the child didn't cry, she assumed she had delivered a stillborn infant, notes the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

According to the Daily Mail, police say Hautzenrader unsuccessfully attempted to flush the child down the toilet. She ended up putting the baby in a pillowcase and then in a garbage can.

After cleaning up the area, the young woman left.

Hospital personnel soon found the newborn – alive.

Hautzenrader was taken into custody on Monday morning and charged with child endangerment.

RELATED: Risk factors for complications during pregnancy