Beijing expects 300,000 newborns in Year of Monkey

A nurse takes care of a new-born baby in a hospital in Zaozhuang, East China's Shandong province, Feb 8, 2016. [Photo/IC]

Beijing may see a baby boom this year with 300,000 newborn, up 20 percent than that in the Year of the Sheep, reported chinanews.com on Thursday.

The boom is expected as the Year of the Monkey is considered auspicious and also due to the abolishment of one-child policy, said Gao Xiaojun, a member of Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, on Thursday.

Until the end of 2015, Beijing received 62,000 applications for having a second child and 20,000 couples already have given birth since the capital relaxed the one-child policy from Feb 21, 2014.

The number of female residents in Beijing who are of child-bearing age has risen by 2.36 million.

Most of the obstetrical departments in Beijing are already fully booked in the Year of the Monkey.

Gao said the departments are under severe burden and Beijing will implement a strict filing and delivery system to better serve expectant mothers.

China dropped its one-child policy in 2015 and allowed each family to have two children.

Chinese people have traditionally believed babies born in the Year of the Monkey to be smart and confident, due to their love of the animal because it is cute and resembles humans in many ways.

On the other hand, the Year of the Sheep is seen as an unlucky year as those born in this year will lead an unhappy life.