The future of baby hatches in China

Wenjie Sun, Yumei Zheng, Yiqiong Xie - Women and Birth

In this letter to the editor, the authors express their support for the continued use of “baby hatches” in China. According to the authors, baby hatches were introduced in China in 2011. Many of the abandoned infants have birth defects or disabilities. Due to financial pressure, some of the baby hatches were closed in 2013 and the government is considering closing them down. The authors argue, however, that the closure of baby hatches will not end the practice of child abandonment and will, in fact, put infants at greater risk. Baby hatches, they say, offer a safe place for infants, especially as many are abandoned at night when they are subjected to cold weather and other elements.