BEIJING, April 4 -- China's health watchdog on Friday released a regulation on the safety of newborns, which orders placing new-borns without guardians under proper care.

The rules on the safety management of newborns, released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, also orders medical institutions to consult with the mothers or other guardians to confirm the deaths of foetus and infants, and should not treat the bodies as medical waste.

In the case of stillborns or dead infants with infectious diseases, institutions should obtain the guardians' consent before disposing of the bodies in line with laws and regulations.

The commission noted that the rules improved safety for hospitalized newborns.

Meanwhile, the regulation requires hospital staff to boost their professional skills while calling for adequate preparations of medicines, equipment and workers with expertise during child delivery.

Hospitals were also told to strengthen inspections of hospitalized infants and improve a management system for newborns entering and leaving hospitals.