OpportunityTitle: Birth Defects Study To Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS (BD-STEPS) II
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: For an application to be considered, it must be responsive to the following special eligibility requirements: Component A. BD-STEPS II CORE  awardee  Access to a pre-existing population-based birth defects surveillance system that can provide data on all birth defects listed in Table 1, and access to necessary data sources to ascertain liveborn control infants (i.e. vital records or birth hospital records) Description of the selected birth population and geographic area which has to include 30,000 &amp;ndash; 75,000 births annually. Evidence of legal access to the birth defects surveillance system is required. If the applicant is not a State health department, inclusion of a letter or memorandum of understanding from the State health department confirming the applicant has access to the necessary data sources in order to ascertain case and control subjects. Access to the state&amp;rsquo;s National Electronic Disease Surveillance (NEDS) system for ascertainment of reportable infections.   Component B. BD-STEPS Stillbirth  awardee:  Access to necessary data sources to ascertain stillborn infants (i.e. fetal death records or birth hospital records) A selected birth population and geographic area that includes 30,000 &amp;ndash; 75,000 births annually.
Description: CDC has previously implemented population based case control studies of birth defects known as the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) for births from 1997-2011 and the Birth Defects Study To Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS (BD-STEPS I) which started with births in 2014 and is ongoing. The purpose of BD-STEPS II is to identify causes of birth defects and stillbirths using epidemiologic and genetic research methods and provide information that could be translated into public health prevention messages. The activities under this NOFO will be supported by two separate but related funding components: Component A. BD-STEPS II Core. To support the continuation of the epidemiological and genetic research capability of the Centers for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (CBDRP) through BD-STEPS. The intent of this BD-STEPS II is to carry out BD-STEPS using the same basic study design currently used by grantees with a focus on the key areas of: (1) maternal chronic disease and their treatments; (2) infectious disease in pregnancy; and (3) medications. In BD-STEPS II we will add focus on infectious causes of birth defects, and pilots will be conducted to determine feasibility of medication use validation. Both new sites and current BD-STEPS sites are encouraged to apply for this component. Component B. BD-STEPS stillbirth. To support the continued exploration of modifiable risk factors for stillbirths. The intent of this component is to conduct the BD-STEPS II Core interview and a follow-up interview with mothers affected by stillbirths and mothers of livebirths to conduct a case-control study of stillbirth risk factors. To be funded for Component B, applicants must have a responsive application for Component A and receive Component A funding. Both new sites and current BD-STEPS sites are encouraged to apply for this component.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: mah7@cdc.gov