Young couples are being urged to undergo medical check-ups before marriage so as to reduce the possibility of birth defects, www.eastday.com reports.

Birth defects passed on genetically or due to disease have become the leading cause of death among newborns in the city, experts said.

Beginning October 1, the compulsory medical check-ups necessary for marriage registration will become voluntary, in accordance with the revised "Marriage Registration Regulation".

Many couples are waiting to marry after October 1, fearful that results of a medical exam could affect the marriage if certain diseases or other problems are detected.

But experts with the Municipal Sanitary Bureau said doctors would protect the privacy of the examinees and help them treat any medical problems to safeguard the marriage.

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