A one-year-old boy in China has been unable to receive a birth certificate or vaccination schedule because his parents cannot agree on his name.
The case, heard at the Pudong New Area People’s Court in Shanghai, involves a couple who married in 2023 and had their child the following year. Their relationship began to deteriorate when both insisted on naming the child according to their own preferences.
Court documents show that each parent tried separately to register their chosen name at the hospital, but both applications were rejected for failing to comply with regulations.
The judge emphasized that a birth certificate is a crucial document for a child’s legal identity, and delays caused by personal disputes infringe upon the child’s rights. The court also reminded the parents not to use their child as a tool for emotional conflict or neglect their responsibilities as guardians.
To protect the child’s rights, the court issued a “Minor Child Custody Notice” and instructed the parents to cooperate to obtain the birth certificate within a specified period. However, disagreements over possession of the original document persisted, leading the court to temporarily keep the birth certificate before handing it to the mother to complete the mandatory household registration.
The unusual divorce case has gone viral on Chinese social media, sparking debate over how a seemingly minor issue like a name could destabilize a marriage. Some netizens even questioned whether the couple is fit to have children.
