Pitbull dog kills newborn baby

A newborn baby boy has been killed by a family dog. The parents of the three-day-old baby were sitting watching TV in bed with the baby in their home, on the outskirts of San Diego, California.

The American Staffordshire terrier-Great Dane cross breed, which was also in the room, apparently became startled by the boy's mother coughing and unexpectedly bit the baby. The parents were able to pull the animal off the child. They took the baby to hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Sgt Nguyen, a member of the child abuse unit, said: "At this time, we're looking at this as nothing more than a tragic incident."

The dog, a two-year-old named Polo, is being held in quarantine to determine whether it has rabies. Deputy Director of the county Department of Animal Services Dan DeSousa said it will be up to the owners to decide whether the animal should be put down.

A post mortem examination is under way to determine the cause of death Sky News reports.