Five babies in ICU die, hospital probes
By Cao Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-11-04 09:08

Five babies in the intensive cure unit (ICU) of Shanghai Children's Hospital died on Sunday night, in a case that experts began investigating the following day.

An official from the hospital who preferred not to release the infants' names said, "All these five babies were born prematurely, weighing less than 2 kilograms."

"Three of them were already critically ill when they came in, with undeveloped brains or respiratory systems; the other two barely survived several life-threatening situations."

Two of the fathers however disagreed, insisting their babies were in good health, as quoted in the Beijing Times.

The primary conclusions of an investigation into the deaths of the five babies should be released, at latest, Thursday morning, China Daily was told Wednesday evening.

Local police joined forces with the Shanghai Municipal Public Health Bureau in investigating the case on Monday. But, "there has not been any progress till today," said Yang Ye, an official from the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

Zou Xiaokang, one of the fathers, claimed that he found all infants in the ICU in a terrible condition and saw them being treated when he arrived there at about 8 pm.

Zou showed a reporter from the Beijing Times a medical certificate issued by the Ministry of Health, proving his girl was born healthy.

Cheng Xiaoyu, another of the fathers, claimed that when he visited the hospital one day before the incident, doctors told him his son was in good health and could soon leave the hospital.

Zou and Cheng both sent the bodies of their children to Changhai Hospital for an autopsy on Monday.

Doctors at Changhai Hospital said the results would be available in about 10 days.

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