A prenatal and newborn-screening centre has been put into operation at the Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital with the aim of reducing the rate of babies born with congenital defects.

The centre, built at a cost of 74 billion VND (3.48 million USD), is part of the city’s project to early detect congenital disorders through prenatal and baby screening in the 2011-2015 period.

It was upgraded from a specialised ward. It boasts new personnel, infrastructure and modern equipment.

More than 6,000 pregnant women have received ultrasound scans at the ward in its seven years of operation, and over 50,000 newborn babies have been screened for hearing and heart diseases.

According to the General Office for Population and Family Planning, more than 87,000 babies are born with congenital conditions in Vietnam each year.-VNA