Over the last six months, the Kwai Chung Crematorium's Home of Forever Love has received 37 applications from parents for handling stillborn fetuses below 24 weeks of gestation, commonly called abortuses.

Since it opened in September, 132 unclaimed abortuses have been handled at the facility. The fetuses would otherwise have been disposed of as clinical waste.

Health inspector Karen Law said the facility offered parents more choices and a dignified resting place for their unborn children.

"The commencement of the cremation service gives the public more choices on the funeral arrangement and offers a decent resting place for abortuses,” she added.

In Hong Kong, all crematoria can only provide cremation services for the deceased who have obtained [a relevant certificate] because abortuses of less than 24 weeks do not meet the requirements for obtaining a certificate of stillbirth or any other relevant documents.

A stillborn baby’s ashes may be scattered in designated gardens or kept in burial facilities.