Chinese welfare home embraces abandoned kids

Beijing - A shelter home in north China's Hebei province has emerged as a big ray of hope for life for many newborns who are abandoned by their parents for different personal reasons.

A small white cabin with a red roof and windows decorated with cartoon patterns today stands at the door of this welfare home.

Established about six months ago, this small structure, which is claimed to be China's first shelter for abandoned infants accepted 24 abandoned infants, 16 of whom have survived, Xinhua reported.

Built by the Shijiazhuang Social Welfare Institute last June, the cabin has been named "Safe Island for Babies" and is meant to offer better care to the abandoned infants.

It was noticed that some parents abandon infants born with severe disabilities or diseases. Many of such babies, left in the open, died due to prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures or being injured by animals, said Han Jinhong, head of the welfare home.

Earlier, about half of the infants abandoned outside the welfare home would die. But now the shelter's existence has improved the abandoned infants' chances of surviving, said Han.

This shelter is equipped with an incubator, which creates temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels appropriate for babies. It also has an alarm system that alerts staff whenever a new baby is dropped off at the cabin.

The institute, says Han, may not be able to prevent people from abandoning babies but it can at least curb the consequences of their behaviour.