Chinese doctor sentenced for baby trafficking

An obstetrician in northwest China's Shaanxi province, convicted of baby trafficking, was sentenced Tuesday to death with a two-year reprieve, a court said.

The court in Xian city said Zhang Shuxia, 55, a doctor at the Fuping County Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, had earlier pleaded guilty to selling the babies to human traffickers after telling their parents that their newborn babies were sick and to give them up, Xinhua News Agency reported.

One of the babies later died, the report said. The other six were later rescued and returned to their families, earlier reports said.

The verdict against Zhang means her death sentence would be converted to life sentence.

The case against Zhang began in July after a mother suspected her baby had been abducted and reported the incident to police, Xinhua said. The court said Zhang was accused of falsely claiming her child had a congenital disease. However, the baby was found in good condition a month later in neighboring Henan Province.

The court, during the trial, said Zhang had made at least $9,800 from baby trafficking.

Eight other suspects in the case remained under detention.

Five officials have been fired including the director of the county's health department and the head of the hospital where the children were born.