Baby falsely reported as missing now safe at home

The case of a four-month-old baby boy initially reported as missing in Central China's Henan province has ended, with authorities concluding that the child's mother and her family members were involved,  according to Beijing News on Monday.

The incident was directed and carried out by the mother and her family members in Zhoukou city, and prompted by a family quarrel, local police said. They first thought it was a child-trafficking case. 

Police detained family members and the penalty for the mother was put off due to her breastfeeding, according to Beijing News. 

The four-month-old baby was reported missing at a park on Thursday and was found on Sunday morning.

A preliminary investigation showed the baby went missing when the mother walked with the child and fainted at a park in Zhoukou.

Police said the woman suffered hypokalemia, or a low level of potassium in the blood.

After a more than 60-hour investigation, police found the baby in Zhengzhou, capital city of Henan province, and discovered further clues to the case.

The infant is safe and sound after having a medical examination at a local hospital and is at home.

Wang Lin, 38, a mother who followed the case, said many were worried about the infant, and she thought it was ridiculous after learning the mother and some relatives planned and carried out the "missing" infant scheme. "It is a waste of social resources," she said.

A similar case where a child was reported as missing happened in Yueqing city in East China's Zhejiang province in November 2018. A woman surnamed Chen was sentenced to one year and three months in prison for fabricating and spreading false information after she hid her son and reported him missing to the police.