Birth defects an increasing concern for physicians

BEIJING - China has seen the rate of birth defects increase by more than 70 percent between 1996 and 2010.

"The percentage of infant deaths associated with congenital disorders has also been rising on the mainland," said Fu Wei, deputy director of women and children's care and the community health department of the Ministry of Health.

Currently, 800,000 to 1.2 million babies are born with various birth defects each year on the mainland, accounting for 4 to 6 percent of births, Deputy Minister of Health Liu Qian said at a recent news conference.