More than 15 Union City police officers were knocking on the doors of residents living within a two-block circular area surrounding 4500 Brown St. Wednesday night, canvassing the area to find the mother of a healthy, five to six-day old baby boy found alone in the vestibule of the apartment building. According to Capt. Brian Barrett, night commander of the detective bureau, the police received a call from one of the building’s residents at 5:38 p.m. The baby was found wrapped in a blue blanket and wearing a blue cap. A plastic bag containing a small baby bottle and one package of Simulac were found next to the infant. Union City EMS workers transferred the infant to Jersey City Medical Center’s pre-natal unit, where he will be held until the State Division of Youth and Abandoned Services could issue a court order labeling the infant as abandoned. The baby was named Baby Lance at the hospital because, doctors told Barrett, the baby arrived by ambulance. Evidence given to police from doctors at the medical center led the police to believe that the infant was just released from a medical facility. Medical center officials confirmed to the police that the baby was light-skinned and was in excellent health, weighing 6 pounds 10 ounces. These officials also told police that the baby was wearing a clean diaper and appeared to be fed about an hour before being found. The blanket, diapers and plastic bag found on the infant were also said to look like hospital issued products. According to Barrett, the investigation is being treated as an abandoned baby. When found, the baby’s mother can face charges of abandonment and neglect. However, Barrett said that they are not looking into the case criminally right now. “Right now we are focusing on the mother’s health,” said Barrett. “Be it physical or emotional.” In efforts to find the baby’s mother, Barrett said that in addition to canvassing the area, calls were made to area taxicab companies to inquire about any cars sent to a hospital. Calls were also made to area hospitals to ask about any deliveries within the past six days. As of press time, the inquires came up negative. However, Barrett did say that there were a few minor leads. Some area residents said that they did see a woman holding a baby, and some cab drivers said that they carried a passenger with a baby. After he received the call, Barrett said, “Panic set in. It was beautiful to see a healthy baby boy.” Instances of abandoned infants are rare, but they have occurred in Union City before. “Going to see a healthy baby boy is better than a dead infant in a plastic bag,” Barrett added, referring to previous incidents. The most recent incident involved a young girl living on 17th Street who gave birth to the baby in her bathroom and then put the baby in a plastic garbage bag, then placed the garbage bag on the curb outside her house. Another incident occurred about 10 years ago, when a baby was found dead in a dumpster on Palisade Avenue after a girl was brought into the hospital for hemorrhaging. “We still get shudders to think of that incident,” said Barrett.