WUHAN - A 3-month-old baby boy was found abandoned at Wuhan Tianhe Airport on Tuesday and a suspect was later arrested, local police said on Thursday.

A cleaner who works at the airport heard the baby making sounds and when she went to investigate, found him on a chair in the arrivals lounge.

When no one claimed the baby after two hours, the local civil affairs bureau took over.

Chen Xiaokui, director of the shelter station under the civil affairs authority in Huangpi district, told China Daily that he sent the baby to hospital because he appeared to be ill.

"He was suffering from congenital heart disease and pneumonia," Chen said, adding that they had spent some 1,200 yuan ($190) on his medical treatment.

Chen said that he and his colleagues arrived at Tianhe Airport around 9 pm after hearing the report. They felt anger toward the person who abandoned the baby, he said.

"We find seven or eight abandoned babies each year," Chen said.

Xiao Gongyan, chief of Tianhe Airport police station, said they were treating the abandonment as a criminal case and were investigating further.

"With the help of the video monitoring camera, we have targeted the suspect and detained him."

A man believed to be the baby's father was arrested, according to another police official, who remained anonymous.

"The case is under investigation," he said.

Yu Mei, 28, a middle school teacher in Wuhan, commented, "How precious the child's life is."

On the Internet, more than 2,374 netizens commented on the story on the popular Chinese website Sohu, and most criticized the abandonment.

"Maybe the parents were forced to do what they did since they are not capable of healing their baby and the public should give them a hand," a netizen nicknamed Tuotuo said.

The baby is in Huangpi People's Hospital.

Mei Zhigang, a professor who studies social problems at Central China Normal University, said abandoned babies were a disgrace to society.

"It should not happen in a civilized society," Mei said, adding that there were two main reasons for this phenomenon.

A sick baby is more readily abandoned, she said, and there are parents who cannot afford to treat and raise sick children.

Mei said that parents must live up to their responsibilities and the government should be prepared to help families in difficulty.

"There needs to be more concern at national level and polices to curb such wrong behavior," Mei said.

China Daily

(China Daily 03/02/2012 page7)