A woman has told of her horror at finding six tiny fingers in a rubbish bin behind a apartment complex in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Gina Rose Vendegna said the shocking find did not sink in until a day after she gave the plastic bag over to Honolulu police.

"Then I broke down thinking about the child," the mother of five told KHON-TV.

The fingers, which Ms Vendegna found last month, are probably from a girl aged two and a half to four, police say.

Residents of the 389-unit Kukui Gardens complex near central Honolulu and Chinatown were shocked about the find, which came to light when police asked the public for help this week, said Kevin Carney, Hawaii vice president for EAH Housing, the San Rafael, California-based company that manages the homes.

Twenty buildings are on about 10 acres dotted with palm trees, and while the complex is in an urban neighbourhood, there is little crime.

"It's a peaceful, quiet community. The crime would shock any community," Mr Carney said.

There have been no reports of missing children, he said.

Police have interviewed area residents and checked missing reports, but have no leads.