Birth defects rise from lack of tests

Experts say a lack of pre-marital physical checks and pollution have pushed the number of Beijing babies with birth defects to 1.6 percent this year, twice as many as 10 years ago.

Deng Xingzhou, director of the Beijing municipal commission of population and family planning, said the most important reason for the increasing rate of birth defects is that couples do not have pre-marital physical examinations.

"The examination can find latency diseases before pregnancy and prevent birth defects," he said.