A seven-week-old baby continues to fight for her life in a Halifax hospital, while her parents remain behind bars facing charges of aggravated assault.

The infant has been in hospital since Thursday evening, when paramedics were called to a home on Gottingen Street.

Theresa Rath, a Halifax Regional Police spokeswoman, said staff at the IWK Health Centre suspected it was a case of child abuse and contacted police the next morning.

The baby's parents were charged Saturday with aggravated assault.

"Investigations of this type are very shocking and troubling for police, especially where it involves a child who is defenceless," said Rath.

Rath wouldn't comment on the condition of the baby, but said the infant sustained life-threatening injuries.

The man and woman, both 23, are in custody and are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

The couple shared a five-bedroom, two-floor apartment above a restaurant on Gottigen Street with a couple of other tenants.

Landlord Bob Trenaman said the couple's arrest came as a big shock.

"The folks that were living there with them in that apartment, they're feeling the same sense of 'what happened?'" he told CBC News.

Trenaman said he didn't know the couple was expecting when he rented to them. He said he told the father the other tenants had complained about the crying infant.

"I hope I didn't put more pressure on them," said Trenaman.

Rath said the parents made the 911 call, and paramedics immediately suspected child abuse and called police.

Police officers went to the IWK but were turned away. Twelve hours later, hospital staff called police, Rath said.

Officials with the IWK Health Centre are not commenting.