BEIJING, Dec. 24 -- China's National Health Commission has issued a set of standards for antenatal screening and diagnosis to enhance the quality oversight and management of such services.

The standards are also an effort to prevent and treat birth defects and improve pre-and post-natal care services in China.

The commission defined the medical institutions that carry out antenatal screening and diagnosis as the first principal responsibility for quality management.

The medical institutions should follow relevant laws and regulations, technique standards and requirements, fully apply the quality management standards throughout the whole process of providing such services, and shore up the weak links to improve the quality constantly, according to the commission.