AKIPRESS.COM - More than 260 unwanted children, most of them babies, have been abandoned in a Chinese "safe haven" in just over six weeks – more than five a day – since it opened in late January, JapanToday reported.

The baby hatch in Guangzhou, in the southern province of Guangdong, was suspended on Sunday after the city’s welfare home exceeded its capacity to handle new arrivals.

All of those abandoned suffered from illnesses including cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and congenital heart disease, and 67% of them were less than a year old, the Bureau of Civil Affairs of Guangzhou Municipality said.

The facility was set up in late January and 262 children had been abandoned at it by Sunday morning, it said in a statement.

China has set up 25 baby safe havens in 10 provinces and major cities since June 2011 and plans to roll out the facilities to most of the country.

The havens were introduced to reduce the risks of children dying after being abandoned in the street. They usually have an incubator, a delayed alarm device, an air conditioner and a baby bed.

Many babies are given up because parents cannot afford expensive medical bills and fees for special education.