Zhejiang newborn's toilet fall remains hot topic

The fall of a newborn baby into a sewer pipe after his mother gave birth while sitting on a toilet continues to excite discussion in China, after authorities confirmed the boy has left hospital in Zhejiang Province.

The baby boy, dubbed "number 59" by nurses, left hospital on Wednesday evening in the care of his relatives, local authorities said on Thursday.

The local publicity department and police said the infant's 22-year-old mother, as well as his grandparents and the man purported to be the child's father, will take care of the child.

However, the alleged father said he intends to verify whether the child is actually his or not.

Police have initially determined that the child's fall into the sewer pipe last week was an accident, and the 22-year-old woman who gave birth unexpectedly will not be charged.

The baby's unmarried mother, who had kept her pregnancy secret, was said to have given birth to the baby on Saturday in a squat toilet in the apartment block where she lives in Pujiang County of Jinhua City, according to police.

According to Zhang Jianbo, director of Punan police station, the woman said in response to questioning that she rushed to the toilet after she began to experience stomach pains and subsequently gave birth to the baby.

Police records showed that the woman tried to grab the newborn but his fluid-covered body was too slippery and she let the baby slide into the sewage through the hole of the toilet.

She then raised an alarm with the landlord and suggested that the landlord and others come to assist, the records said.

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