Birth Defects Cluster Study: A national approach to birth defects cluster investigations

BACKGROUND: Investigations of clusters of birth defects have been challenging endeavors that have had only modest success identifying causes or risk factors. Some of the challenges to individual cluster investigations have been small sample size and limited data collection. We describe a novel appro...

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Published in:Birth defects research. A Clinical and molecular teratology 2008-11, Vol.82 (11), p.805-811
Main Authors: Kucik, James E., Bitsko, Rebecca H., Williams, Laura, Lazarus, Carrie, Jarman, Dwayne W., Correa, Adolfo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
birth defects
Case-Control Studies
cluster
Cluster Analysis
Congenital Abnormalities - diagnosis
Congenital Abnormalities - epidemiology
Data Collection
Female
gastroschisis
Humans
investigation
Pilot Projects
Population Surveillance
Pregnancy
Registries
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
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Summary:BACKGROUND: Investigations of clusters of birth defects have been challenging endeavors that have had only modest success identifying causes or risk factors. Some of the challenges to individual cluster investigations have been small sample size and limited data collection. We describe a novel approach for investigating and analyzing pooled information from a series of birth defects cluster investigations. METHODS: The Birth Defects Cluster Study uses a case‐control study design with standardized methods, including a case definition, control selection, data collection methods, and data collected (e.g., maternal interviews, blood samples, and environmental samples). Analyses of pooled data from several clusters of the same defect are conducted for specific hypotheses once a sufficient sample size has been achieved. The feasibility of conducting individual birth defect investigations was evaluated on a cluster of gastroschisis. RESULTS: The pilot investigation of a cluster of gastroschisis demonstrated success in recruiting participants and in collecting data and specimens for eventual inclusion in a pooled analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The Birth Defects Cluster Study offers a unique and effective approach to cluster investigations that improves the likelihood of identifying genetic and environmental causes of birth defects and provides a model for cluster investigations of other noninfectious health outcomes. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2008. Published 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ISSN:1542-0752
1542-0760
DOI:10.1002/bdra.20518