Postnatal care center shut down after pneumonia outbreak in newborns

A postnatal care center in northeast China’s Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, has been temporarily closed after 14 newborn babies developed pneumonia.

The market watchdog of the city’s Huanggu District has shut down the Xinxiangyue postnatal care center temporarily. Health authorities will disinfect the place thoroughly. 

All babies have been hospitalized.

The pneumonia was caused by the respiratory syncytial virus, a seasonal virus which causes cold-like symptoms but could be dangerous for infants, The Beijing News reported.

The district market watchdog said it would help negotiate a compensation deal between the care center and affected families.

One of the parents accused the care center of concealing the outbreak and not alerting parents after the first baby was diagnosed with the virus, according to the report which quoted a father surnamed Zhang.