A Kansas City infant who had parts of her nose and upper lip chewed off by a rat, remains hospitalized in serious condition tonight. Now the city is taking action to be sure it doesn't happen again.

The one-month-old baby girl faces surgery. Police got the call from the baby's parents Sunday morning. They said they heard strange noises coming from the baby monitor in the baby's bedroom. When they went to check, they found the baby in her crib with blood all over her face. There were rat droppings in the crib.

Michael Swoyer, a KCMO Rat Control spokesman, said, "It happened because the baby was put in the crib over night - according to the parents, in clean clothing - but the baby vomited over night and unfortunately the smell of the vomit was an attraction for the rat."

City exterminators put out bait in the family's neighborhood to try to get rid of the rats.

"A lot of people think vacant houses and vacant lots are drawing cards for rats," said exterminator Don Franke, "Unless there is food in there, the rats don't go in."