Ye Caiying, who has lost her only son in an accident, cannot help but look at his son's photograph on March 16, 2013. [Photo/IC]

Besides, with the only child becoming the center of a family, the child may be too spoiled to grow up with a healthy outlook on life, which can be seen in many related cases reported nowadays.

Still, if the only child dies before his parents, it's hard to imagine how the parents will spend the rest of their lives, especially when they are old.

"People can enjoy the population dividend in the early years when the birth rate is low, but will suffer the consequences later," said Huang Wenzheng, a demographer with the Humanism Economics Society.