A 17-YEAR-OLD girl recently gave birth to a premature baby at home and sent the baby to Longhua Central Hospital for treatment before leaving, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported yesterday.

According to Liu Yanhua, a pediatrician at the hospital, the baby identified as Chengcheng was brought to the hospital in an ambulance with his family at around 11:45 a.m. July 13.

Chengcheng weighed only about 800 grams when he was hospitalized. He was estimated to be only 27 to 28 weeks old and in critical condition.

After Chengcheng was out of danger, Liu had a talk with the father, who was also only 17 years old. He said he wasn’t psychologically prepared to be a father. “And my family is very poor. We’re not able to raise him,” said Chengcheng’s father. The doctor called the baby’s mother, who gave the same answer.

Chengcheng’s father later couldn’t be reached by phone. The hospital reported the case to the police, but no progress has been made.

Chengcheng now weighs more than 3 kilograms.

Chongshang Foundation, a local charity group, donated 10,000 yuan (US$1,464) after hearing the news. The group has uploaded a link on the official website of China Charities Aid Foundation for Children, through which residents can make donations to Chengcheng. (Zhang Yu)