Yang Yang, a doctor in Chengdu, Sichuan province, became a single mother.

Instead of choosing an abortion, she gave birth in January without the knowledge of her parents.

As she could not afford to bring up the child alone, she posted a message on the Internet looking for somebody to adopt it. Her call was answered and the child was adopted.

According to the West China Metropolis Daily, it is not uncommon for single Sichuan women in their 20s to offer their babies for adoption over the Internet to childless couples.

At least 80 percent of those who adopt the babies cannot conceive, the newspaper said.

Fang, a Chengdu woman working in Zhejiang province, opted for a test-tube procedure. She had a baby but it passed away soon after birth.

Two months ago, she managed to adopt a baby from a single mother through the Internet.

The cost of this type of adoption ranges from 30,000 to 80,000 yuan ($4,900 to $13,000).

Li Dafu, a lawyer in Sichuan, said loopholes exist.

According to law, a baby can only be offered for adoption with the proven consent of both parents. But this is often flouted.

With lax supervision, it is not unknown for traffickers to pose as potential parents and adopt children over the Internet.