Just two weeks after the first baby hatch was established in the south China city of Guangzhou in late January, nearly 80 abandoned infants had been collected from the safe place.
A baby hatch allows a parent to safely and anonymously abandon an infant and consists of an incubator, a delayed alarm device, an air conditioner and a baby bed. A person can place the baby in the hatch, press the alarm button, and leave. Welfare staff retrieve the baby five to 10 minutes later.
The Guangzhou case sparked public discussion, and more baby hatches are set to be established in China. However, experts say simply saving abandoned infants is not enough, and a better system is needed to protect the rights of children with illnesses and disabilities.
A total of 25 baby hatches have been established in 10 provincial regions in China, and more will be set up in another 18 regions, the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) told Xinhua.
The first baby hatch in China was set up in June 2011 in Shijiazhuang, capital city of north China’s Hebei Province.
Many have endorsed baby hatches, hailing them as a sign of social progress and a way to help save the lives of abandoned babies. However, others believe baby hatches encourage people to abandon their unwanted children, which is prohibited by Chinese law.
via Xinhua Insight: Baby hatches reveal deficient children’s welfare in China – Xinhua | English.news.cn.
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