XI'AN — An official with the National Health Commission (NHC) called on expectant and new mothers to undergo necessary checks and screenings to prevent birth defects on China's Birth Defect Prevention Day, which falls on Sept 12.

Expectant and new mothers should go through premarital and pre-pregnancy checks, prenatal screening and diagnosis and newborn disease screening, said Qin Geng, an official with the NHC, at an event aimed at raising their awareness about birth defects prevention and treatment.

The event was co-held by the NHC and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation of China.

The foundation has promoted and established a birth defects intervention and treatment service system, which involves 594 institutions and bases.

Data from the China Disabled Persons' Federation suggested that about 900,000 babies are born with birth defects every year.