2:18pm UK, Sunday May 04, 2008

A teenage girl in California secretly gave birth at home - then walked to hospital with the baby still attached by its umbilical cord.

180 Mother and Baby

Shhhh: Baby was a secret

Xochitl Parra, who kept her pregnancy secret lest her mother kick her out of the house, was "just a little nervous" when she went into labour with her new son Alejandro.

The 17-year-old from Long Beach was taking a shower before school when her contractions started.

"I felt his head coming, so I sat down and pushed so he could come out," she said.

Xochitl could not call the emergency services because her phone was disconnected, and was too considerate to conceive of waking her neighbours at the early hour.

Instead she wrapped up the baby, got dressed and went to the hospital by foot.

Neonatal ICU director Dr Jose Perez said Xochitl entered the lobby of the St Mary Medical Centre and asked for help.

Dr Perez said: "She still had the placenta and the baby was still attached, so of course everyone said 'Don't move!'.

"She was very clever. She knew what to do. She wrapped the baby up and walked over here."

Alejandro's grandmother has now agreed to help care for the baby so Xochitl can continue attending school.

Dr Perez added that the baby boy was normal and "eating like a champ".