Campaign launched on National Birth Defects Prevention Day

An educational campaign was launched on Saturday, the National Birth Defects Prevention Day, to arouse public awareness of the prevention and control of congenital deformity.

The city has established a three-level birth defect control network. Premarital and pre-pregnancy check is the first level of prevention, prenatal screening is the second, screening for congenital heart disease in newborn babies, the leading birth defect in China, is the third.

Genetic consultation and check-ups are offered throughout the whole process of pregnancy, with support and guidance to local couples, health officials said.

There are seven to eight cases of congenital heart disease for every 1,000 newborn babies in China, which sees 120,000 to 150,000 new patients annually.