A midwife who beat a newborn baby in a Bulgarian hospital has been arrested following the discovery of video surveillance showing the attack.

Emiliya Kovacheva, who worked as a midwife at Sofia Med hospital in Bulgaria, could be seen hitting the baby with her hands, and a glass bottle in the video. She had also attempted to strangle the four-day-old baby.

It was reported that Kovacheva had asked to be released and denied charges. "I did not do anything" she was quoted as saying.

The court refused to release her and stated that she has the potential to commit another crime and charged her with attempted murder of a baby.

The incident has alarmed officials and patients in Bulgarian hospitals, which are seeking new measures to prevent such tragedy from reoccurring in the future.

Bulgaria's Deputy Health Minister Boyko Penkov had announced that the baby who was beaten by the midwife has been moved to another hospital and was starting to move into a more stable condition.