Baby in China chokes to death on nanny’s first day on job, shocking social media
- Couple hire costly nanny with specialist post-partum skills, but soon realise she is inexperienced
A nanny in China who was hired by a couple for her specialist post-partum skills, accidentally choked their baby to death on her first day on the job.
The accident came to light via an online video that showed the baby receiving emergency treatment in hospital, where a significant amount of milk had to be removed from its lungs.
The parents, from Xian in Shaanxi province in central China, employed the woman in April through Tian’e Daojia, a housekeeping service company.
They agreed to a monthly salary of 12,000 yuan (US$1,700), expecting her to provide professional post-partum care for the mother and her newborn, in accordance with the traditional Chinese practice of “sitting the month”.
In this tradition, which can last from one month to 100 days, the nanny provides comprehensive support that includes childcare and personal care for new mothers to help them rest and recover after giving birth.
In tier-one cities like Shenzhen, salaries for post-partum confinement nannies average 12,800 yuan a month, with more experienced ones earning more than 20,000 yuan (US$2,800), according to the state media outlet CCTV.