A week after a baby boy was found alive in a drain in a Sydney suburb, a second newborn child was discovered -- this time under grimmer circumstances.

Police Inspector Gavin Dengate told the Seven Network that the second baby was found in a shallow sand grave by two boys, aged six and seven, playing at a Maroubra beach Sunday morning. Gavin hopes that a post-mortem on the baby would "guide us in the direction we need to go".

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Police said the baby's body was in an advanced state of decomposition and a medical examination is needed to determine the baby's age and sex. The two boys who found the baby are presently undergoing counselling.

The dead newborn's discovery comes a week after a baby boy was found 2.5 meters below the concrete cover of a drain along a cycling path in Quakers Hill, another Sydney suburb. The first baby was heard crying by passing cyclists and was rescued by a team of emergency workers. He was rushed to hospital where doctors found no obvious signs of injury.

In the latest case, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione urged the dead baby's mother to approach authorities: "Come and talk to us, seek some advice, we need to talk with you. You can contact us at any time".

The latest child abandonment cases have caused a renewed call in Australia for new legislation about baby safe havens. Some say it is also about time to introduce baby hatches in hospitals and other institutions. Baby hatches, where infants can be left anonymously, exist in some developed countries like the U.S., Germany and Japan.