DATE: Saturday, June 21, 1997               TAG: 9706210281

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY CINDY CLAYTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   62 lines

BABY FOUND IN HALLWAY ``DOING VERY WELL'' THE DOCTORS AND NURSES AT SENTARA NORFOLK GENERAL HAVE NAMED HER BRIANNA.

Even the glare of television camera lights in her tiny face didn't wake little Brianna Bethany Barnes Friday during a press conference at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Wearing a new dress and a pink headband around a full head of hair, the day-old infant who was found in a cloth bag Thursday at an apartment complex caught up on some much-needed sleep. Resting in the arms of nurse Patrice Osborne, Brianna's head tilted to one side, her arms moving occasionally.

Brianna Bethany Barnes is the name chosen by doctors and nurses at the hospital to identify the infant until she is released to the custody of the city's Child Protective Services.

Doctors could not say how long Brianna would remain in the hospital nursery.

If her parents are not found by police, Brianna will be put up for adoption, said Dr. Suzanne Sartori, a pediatric resident at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters.

Sartori said the baby, who weighs 7 pounds, 7 ounces, is faring well considering her tough start.

``She seems to be doing very well,'' Sartori said. ``Initially, when we got her in, she was very quiet.''

A maintenance worker found Brianna inside a worn blue denim baby bag in the hallway of a building at the Bayshore Gardens Apartments in the 200 block of Bay Ave.

The baby was clean, wearing a diaper, and had been wrapped in a sheet, said Larry Hill, Norfolk police spokesman.

The maintenance worker, Hill said, took the baby to the office and called police. Brianna was taken to the hospital where doctors who examined her said she was healthy and could not be more than about 12 hours old at admission.

About eight detectives are searching for the baby's parents, said detective Roger Pederson.

Pederson displayed the small denim bag Friday in the hopes that someone would recognize it. The plain blue denim bag has a brownish emblem on the front, reading: ``Authentic Baby Gear, Babies' Alley.'' The bag has two straps and is lined with plastic.

``If there is anybody who has any information on who was last seen carrying the bag . . . or anyone with information, we're asking them to call police,'' he said.

Hill said, ``The first thing we want to do is reunite the family.''

Even though the parents could face serious charges, including abandonment and felony child neglect, detectives want to know the circumstances that led to the baby being left in the hallway, Hill said.

``There may be extenuating circumstances. That's why it's very important to talk to the parents of the child,'' Hill said. ``We're interested in hearing from either parent.''

Anyone with information about the baby's parents is asked to call Crime Line at 664-4040. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot

Nurse Patrice Osborne carries Brianna Bethany Barnes into a press

conference Friday at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. The day-old

infant was found Thursday in the hallway of an apartment complex. KEYWORDS: ABANDONED BABY

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