September 12 is China's fourth "Prevention of Birth Defects Day".
Birth defects refer to the dysplasia in mother's womb before birth, which may be structural abnormalities, or a physiological dysfunction or metabolic abnormalities. Severe birth defects can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death, sickness or long-term disability. Thus, the issue of birth defects is a great concern of the whole world as a major public health problem.
China has a high incidence of birth defects, about 200,000 to 300,000 children with visible congenital malformation are born each year. A total number of 800,000 to 1.2 million children with congenital disabilities are born annually, approximately occupying 4% to 6% of all the new-borns.
In recent years, although the level of the diagnosis of birth defects and reporting are continuously improving in our city, the incidence has been showing an upward trend, especially since 2003. In 1997, the overall incidence of bitrth defects in Beijing was 90.78/10,000 people, compared with 170.82/10,000 people in 2008.
WHO divides the birth defects prevention measures into three levels: primary prevention refers to prevention of the occurrence of birth defects in infants. Through primary prevention 50% of the occurrence of serious birth defects can be effectively avoided, which has been recognized as the most active and effective, safe and economic prevention method. It includes the following aspects: antematrital examination, pre-pregnancy health care, genetic consultation, helping prospective parents choose the best child-bearing age and timing, rational nutrition, prevention of infection, careful medication, giving up tobacco and alcohol, avoiding contact with radiation and toxic and harmful substances, avoiding contact with high-temperature environment. For example, during one to three months before pregnancy to three months after pregnancy, supplementary folic acid can prevent neural tube defects from occurring. This year, Beijing will fully launch public health programs for rural women by offering them folic acid for free to prevent neural vascular malformation to further strengthen primary prevention of birth defects in Beijing.
Secondary prevention refers to the reduction of birth defects in infants at birth. It mainly includes prenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis during pregnancy, screening of chromosome abnormalities and severe deformity of the surface by use of blood biochemical immunization and ultrasonic examination, timely detection of serious birth defects of babies in womb and the artificial termination of pregnancy, to prevent birth defects in infants. Data in 2008 showed that through secondary prevention measures carried out in Beijing, at least 70% of babies with serious birth defects of the lethal nature of abuse, such as the neurovascular malformations, gastroschisis, limb shortening, congenital hydrocephalus, are prevented from being born. In particular, for women above 35 years old or with high-risk pregnancy who have recurrent miscarriage, a premature record or genetic history, prenatal diagnosis is recommended. Currently, there are 6 health care institutions certified as prenatal diagnosis institutions in Beijing including Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital and Peking Union Medical College Hospital, etc.
Tertiary prevention refers to early detection of birth defects in infants and treatment as much as possible to improve their prognosis. Neonatal screening is one of the important measures to reduce birth defects, which also reflects the Government's right to protect children's health. From June 1 this year, our city operated a free screening of birth defects for newborns, mainly covering five kinds of congenital diseases, namely, congenital hearing loss, congenital heart disease, congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria, congenital dislocation of the hip. Parents of the newborns may dial "12320" or log in Beijing Health Information Website to inquire more information.