A four-month-old baby girl has been attacked by a raccoon inside her Philadelphia home, her mother said.

Ashley Rodgers said the attack happened on Wednesday night in the family's first-floor apartment.

Ms Rodgers said she had taken her six-year-old son to the toilet while the baby was asleep on a bed.

She returned to find her screaming daughter on the floor with blood all over her face.

Ms Rodgers said the raccoon had dragged her across the room.

The baby was taken to a hospital, where she received more than 60 stitches and a rabies shot.

The child is recovering, and doctors say her eyesight was not affected.

Samuel Black, the girl's father, told KYW-TV: "It's just ridiculous. My daughter could have lost her life."

The Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia said an officer responded to the home, but could not find the raccoon.

Officers have since assessed the building and set traps. Officials say no raccoons have been caught yet.

Ms Rodgers had just moved into the flat this week. The family does not plan to return to the unit.