A visitor stands beside two condom models yesterday at China (Shanghai) International Fair For Healthier Birth and Healthier Childbearing and Reproductive Health Supplies. The three-day event runs through Sunday.(Shanghai Daily photo)

BEIJING, Dec. 10 -- Women across China, particularly those in rural areas, need more education about the dos and don'ts of pregnancy, and better access to health exams during pregnancy in order to reduce the number of babies born with congenital health defects, medical experts told a reproductive health fair that opened in the city yesterday.

    A symposium was held at the three-day China (Shanghai) Fair for Healthier Birth and Healthier Childcaring and Reproductive Health Supplies yesterday for medical experts to discuss reproductive care.

    According to the Ministry of Health, about 4 to 5 percent of newborns in China have inborn deficiencies, which means there are 800,000 to 1 million children born with various deformations every year.

    Dr. Wang Yifei of Jiao Tong University's school of medicine said more than half of the mentally retarded children in the country were born with a low intelligence.

    "A person's health and development in infancy and childhood is essential to his or her entire life," Wang said. "In order to improve the overall population quality, it is urgent to establish a monitoring network for handicapped newborns and include it into the global network to research genetic and environmental impacts on newborns."

    If rural women had better access to medical exams during pregnancy, doctors could spot problems in time to treat them early, or in the event of co-joined twins or other major problems, could suggest an abortion, health experts told the symposium.

    The also said women need better education on how to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

    "It had better start before a woman gets pregnant," said Zheng Xiaoying, director of Beijing University's Population Institute.

    "Shanghai is building a monitoring and intervention system for perinatal care," said Gui Yonghao, president of Fudan University's Children's Hospital. "We will perfect this system in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing and promote it to more regions in the nation."

(Source: Shanghai Daily)