A baby less than one month old was pronounced dead but woke up minutes before it was due to be cremated, local reports say.

The boy, born in China on 8 January was two months premature, and spent 23 days in an incubator in Pan’an People’s Hospital in the province of Zhejiang.

Despite recommendations that he stay in an incubator for a month, his parents took him home early in order for him to be home for Chinese New Year, according to Zhejiang Television's Channel Six.

After two days at home the baby fell ill, and was brought back to the hospital for emergency care. Doctors declared him dead on 4 February and he then spent 23 hours in a morgue refrigerator at temperatures of -12C.

The next day, when pulled out of the refrigerator by a worker to be cremated, the baby reportedly began to cry.

The worker cancelled the cremation and contacted the father.

Dr Chen, who reportedly pronounced the boy dead, expressed bewilderment.

“I really can’t understand how this miracle happened," he said.

Mr Yang, the director of the hospital, said the staff should have confirmed the baby’s death a second time before issuing a death certificate.