Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Hanoi is making efforts to deliver prenatal diagnoses to 85 percent of expectant mothers by the end of 2020, up from 70 percent at the end of 2015, according to the municipal Department of Population and Family Planning.
After three years implementing prenatal and new-born screening projects, nearly 50 percent of pregnant women have received prenatal diagnoses. In 2015 alone, the medical sector has made ultrasound diagnoses for 2,000 mothers. Of the total, doctors recommended abortion in 347 cases, intervened with amniocentesis for 733 mothers and detected 25 cases of abnormal chromosomes.
An effective prenatal diagnosis programme was carried out from 2013 to 2015 in Quoc Oai, Chuong My, Tay Ho, Long Bien and Ba Vi districts.
In addition, by the end of this year the newborn screening rate is expected to stand at 80 percent, up from 30.98 percent in 2013. In three years, G6DP (Glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency has been detected among 1,307 children and congenital hypothyroidism has been suspected in 43.
Increasing prenatal and newborn screenings will help improve population quality through early detection of infirmity, metabolic disorders and hereditary issues.
The city will work to bring prenatal and newborn screenings to the free medical healthcare insurance programme while fine-tuning technology to meet increasing demand.-VNA
