Healthy debate over premarital checks (6)

A paper written by experts from Peking University's Institute of Reproductive and Child Health shows that 80 percent of women took folic acid when the premarital checkup was compulsory, but the rate fell to 30 percent when the tests became voluntary. Moreover, the number of women taking folic acid in early pregnancy dropped by 20 percent once the checkups ceased to be mandatory.

The paper also indicated that the number of women exposed to risks, including x-rays and alcohol and illegal drugs, in early pregnancy doubled after the publication of the new marriage regulations in 2003.

The premarital checkup also includes a test for HIV and can identify potential problems with the reproductive organs, neither of which can be isolated by regular health checks. If problems are suspected, the doctor will give the prospective parents a checklist of things to watch for during pregnancy.

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