In Depth: The Hidden Crisis of China’s Boom in Premature Births

When Yangyang was born, he was the size of his father’s palm, weighing just 0.8 kilograms (1.8 pounds). Born at 25 weeks and two days — just over six months — he was one of 10.6 million babies born across China that year. Today, Yangyang is 4 years old, a fortunate survivor in a demographic cohort where many others never made it past their first breaths.