Newborn baby who fell into toilet is doing well

A newborn girl who fell into a toilet pit when her mother gave birth in a public bathroom in China is in good condition and will be discharged from the hospital in a few days, the baby's aunt said. "My sister-in-law and niece are both OK now. As soon as doctor permits it, we'll bring the baby home," said Zhang Zhenghua, who came from their hometown in Guangshan county in Xinyang, Henan province on Saturday night.



Cai Qulin, 36, went into labour early on Saturday afternoon, nine days ahead of her due date, and said she urgently needed to use the bathroom before going to the hospital. Unexpectedly, the child was born as she squatted at the public toilet, and the infant girl fell into the pit. Zhang Tao, Cai's husband, called the police and emergency medical help.

"The rescuers could see the baby and hear her crying sometimes in the pit," said a member of Chaoyang district fire brigade. "They broke the nearby pits by hand so they could reach the girl without endangering her." When they removed the cover from the pit, Li Gang, a rescuer, jumped in and lifted the baby girl out 30 minutes after the accident. "She seemed a little pale and stiff," he said. Then she was taken to the First Hospital of Tsinghua University.



The mother was discharged from the hospital and returned home on Saturday afternoon, and the baby was admitted for observation. "My niece is all right now, but she will stay in the hospital so they can make certain that she is healthy. My brother is taking care of the girl, and I'm taking care of the mother," said Zhang Zhenghua at her brother's home, not far from downtown Beijing.