China's first baby conceived from a cryogenically stored egg was born on April 29 in Beijing, reported Tuesday's Beijing Youth Daily. The baby boy weighed 4.2 kilograms at birth.

Dr. Li Xiaohong, of the No. 1 Hospital affiliated with Peking University, said, "After a medical check, all of the baby's indices showed he was healthy."

The 38-year-old mother chose to have a Caesarean section to avoid a difficult birth, Li said. She came to Beijing from east China's Jiangsu Province in July last year and tested pregnant one month later, after being implanted with ova that had been frozen for one year.

According to earlier reports, the No. 1 Hospital is planning to build the country's first human ova bank.

Married women aged between 22 and 35 and free from infectious and congenital diseases, can apply to freeze and store germ cells for future impregnation, according said Li. As of May 10, some 50 women had already done so.

"Ova freezing and storage technology is mature enough in China, but it's only for trial use now," she said. "Wider clinical use has to wait until appropriate laws are made, because after all, pregnancy and birth are big issues and have to be protected by law."

China already has a number of sperm banks.

Chengdu, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, is also seeking volunteers to donate healthy ova for future implantation in women who suffer from congenital sterility or ovarian failure.

The Chinese Ministry of Health has directed that donors must undergo a strict medical checkup and each donor may only provide ova for five women. Sales of ova are banned.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2004)