A mum has been charged with murder after the body of her four-year-old son was found in an “extremely confronting” scene in a regional NSW home.

The pre-schooler’s body had significant injuries to its arm, police said.

Nine newspapers report that police are investigating if cannibalism was involved in the child’s death.

The boy’s body was found alone inside the home in Wyong, on the NSW Central Coast, on Saturday afternoon.

The 32-year-old mother who lived with the child has been charged with murder.

The alarm was raised when the woman took herself to the local police station and spoke to police, Superintendent Chad Gillies said.

“Through those conversations, police formed genuine concerns and that’s what triggered our response,” he said on Sunday.

“It was an extremely confronting scene.”

The woman was known to police and detectives were not looking for anyone else in relation to the boy’s death, Gillies said.

She was charged on Sunday with domestic violence-related murder.

Items have been seized from the property for testing, including the car that the woman used to drive to the police station.

Officers were still examining the property on Sunday morning.

“Whenever a child is a victim of violent crime and whenever a child is [allegedly] murdered, it strikes at the core of community,” Gillies said.

The woman’s lawyer, Neusha Ghahreman, did not apply for bail on behalf of her client, who did not appear in court during a brief hearing on Sunday.

The case was adjourned until September 1.

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-with AAP