Shanghai plans to allocate more private space in public facilities to allow mothers to breastfeed their babies more conveniently.

 

The Shanghai Municipal Construction and Communications Commission said it plans to set up private rooms for breastfeeding mothers in public facilities. These include the city's railway stations, airports, subway stations, long-distance bus stations, public transportation terminals, parks, hospitals, hotels, and restaurants.

 

New public facilities will allocate special areas for breastfeeding and diaper changing in advance in their design. Public facilities already in existence will be slightly readjusted to create such rooms.

 

In the next two or three years, Shanghai will have many such rooms existent in public spaces to facilitate breastfeeding mothers.

 

Shanghai has previously set up some private waiting rooms at one of its railway stations, but not many mothers use them.

 

Experts say the addition of private space for mothers to breastfeed their children is a sign of a more accommodating society, but citizens apparently must be guided to utilize the improved facilities.

 

(CRI April 14, 2007)