CRI听力:Birth Defect Rate Rises Sharply in China

Data from the Ministry of Public Health indicate that the rate of birth defects has risen about 70 percent since 2006, from less than 88 per 10,000 births to almost 150 in 2010. That is to say, six out of every 100 children in China are born with a birth defect.

He Xiyu, the head of the Birth Defect Research and Treatment Center, at Bayi Children's Hospital, says the most common birth defects include congenital heart defects, cleft lips and palates, and physical and mental disabilities. He gives his analysis of the causes.

"Birth defects are very complicated abnormalities. They can be caused by genetic factors, environmental factors, or an interaction of a number of genetic and environmental factors. But under the current medical and health development level, we can only acknowledge 50 percent of the causes of birth defects."

Although many birth defects are complicated diseases, most of them can be discovered and prevented before and during pregnancy. Some medical experts believe premarital health checks can uncover problems that lead to birth defects and insist that such checks be mandatory.

However, Beijing Municipal Health Bureau survey finds nearly 90 percent of respondents think the premarital health checks unnecessary.

Wei Wei, who just got married, works and lives in Beijing with her husband. She says they didn't have the checkups before they got married.

"We knew about the premarital checkups, but we didn't do them because we didn't have time, and we didn't think much about it. Yes, we have concerns about genetic diseases, but it's not at the top of our agenda."

Wei Wei's opinion is representative of many young people who live in cities and are busy with work. The country's most recent Marriage Law, amended in 2004, abolished compulsory premarital checkups to respect and protect personal privacy. But experts say that just because the checkups are not mandatory does not mean they are not a necessity.

Expert He Xiyu says premarital checkups are the most fundamental and effective way to prevent birth defects.

"China is now taking tertiary prevention methods issued by the World Health Organization. They are checkups done before pregnancy, during pregnancy and after childbirth. Premarital checkups are still a primary prevention tactic. Newlyweds should know under what situations they may experience risks. As long as they have basic health knowledge, they can protect themselves."

He suggests that couples who plan to have a baby take pre-pregnancy checkups seriously, avoid dangerous chemicals and maintain a positive attitude while they are expecting.

For CRI, I'm Wang Wei.