China is suffering a high congenital birth defect rate and it is
urgent for the country to take more effective measures to tackle
this issue, according to Zheng Xiaoying, a professor with the
Population Research Institute of Beijing University.
China reported a birth defect rate of 13.1 per thousand in
surveys carried out in 1996 and 1987. However, the actual figure
must be much higher than this, said Zheng.
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International studies indicate that the average birth defect rate
in developing countries is 78.6 per thousand, but only 27.6 per
thousand could be detected at birth.
In data collection, the international practice usually keeps
inspecting children until the age of five for serious genetic
diseases and birth defects that did not show up immediately after
birth. However, limited by diagnosis skills and backward
statistical methods, China could only give an estimated figure.
The cases that have been detected are only the tip of the
iceberg, said Zheng. Experts estimate that China has at least
800,000 to 1 million birth defect cases every year, with the
estimated rate above 50 per thousand.
The problem is extremely serious in backward regions including
north China's Shanxi and west China's Guizhou Provinces. Shanxi is
believed to have the highest birth defect rate in China and
HeshunCounty is the worst in the province.
"Almost all kinds of congenital birth defects listed by the
World Health Organization (WHO) can be found in Heshun and nearly
half of the county's population is affected," according to Liang
Jinkui, director of the Heshun Women and Children's Health
Center.
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A survey in Heshun in 2001 showed that a bad living environment and
lack of nutrition are two major factors contributing to the
problem. The polluted environment is another important cause, as
Shanxi Province is famous for its numerous coal mines with serious
environmental impact.
Apart from causing death during childbirth, birth defects bring
a much heavier economic burden than even infectious diseases. The
annual cost of Down's syndrome cases, for example, is nearly 2
billion yuan (US$240 million), according to experts.
Most of the birth defect control depends on examination and
diagnosis before the baby's birth. "This might bring little effect
at high cost if not well planned," said Zheng.
Zheng urged more efforts also to be put on two other aspects:
consultation and examination before pregnancy and medical treatment
after birth defects were diagnosed.
China's State Population and Family Planning Commission
implemented a congenital birth defect prevention project in 2001.
As one of the four pilot counties in Shanxi province, Heshun
invests over 200,000 yuan (US$24,000) each year to train pregnant
women on prenatal care and provide nutrient supply, fetal
examinations and medical treatment to babies with birth
defects.
The Ministry of Health has set the goal of lowering the figure
to the level of developed counties by 2010.
Zheng's institute is doing the research on controlling China's
birth defect cases inherited from parents or caused by polluted
environment.
"Birth defect prevention needs participation of the whole
society," said Zheng.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2003)