Social welfare officials have urged couples not to use children as 'bargaining chips' when having disputes.
The appeal came after a marathon standoff between a knife-wielding man who threatened to kill his triplets and police officers, which ended early yesterday.
The drama began at 6pm on Monday when the frustrated father, 29, locked himself and one of his 10-month-old triplets in their Kwun Tong home because his wife left after a row last week.
He had earlier sought help from a social worker, saying he wanted to kill his triplets, two girls and a boy, before committing suicide.
A social workers went to the flat in Tak Kei House, Kwun Tong Road, and collected two of the babies before the man, surnamed Chong, held the third and threatened to kill it.
Police were called and the standoff began.