Call for Manuscripts

NBDPN Annual Report for 2008 - to be published in Birth Defects Research, Part A

The National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) will publish its tenth national report on birth defects surveillance and prevention in 2008. As with the previous reports, the publication will be comprised of two parts: 1) a series of articles relating to various issues in surveillance, epidemiology, and application of surveillance data to birth defects prevention and public health programs, and 2) statistical data from population-based surveillance programs across the United States. Previous reports were published as Teratology 1997;56:1-176, 2000;61:1-160, 2001;64 Suppl 1:S1-S176; and 2002;66 Suppl 1:S1-S220, and Birth Defects Research Part A (BDRA) 2003;67:595-822, 2004;68:553-772, 2005;73:645-855, 2006;76:745-960, and 2007;79:729-944.

Manuscripts will be peer-reviewed and approved under BDRA guidelines.  They should adhere to the guidelines for preparation and submission as outlined below. We are interested in manuscripts that utilize or evaluate birth defects surveillance data, use birth defects surveillance data in analytical epidemiological investigations, or apply these data to prevention or intervention programs. Manuscripts may come from a single state, or from collaborative efforts and activities including both multi-state and international collaborations. State analyses of a specific birth defect or set of conditions should provide new observations or be hypothesis-driven with objectives and rationale for conducting the study clearly identifiable.

We are especially interested in manuscripts focusing on the following areas: 

• Using registry data to facilitate or plan services for children and families, or to evaluate health promotion/birth defects prevention activities
• Cluster Investigations: statistical techniques, role of GIS, meta-analyses
• Quality Assurance: General protocols, re-abstraction techniques
• Birth Defects Rates and Trends: Graphical presentation of data, statistical assessment (simple or complex) with new insights or observations
• Use of surveillance data for public health programs: Examples include measuring effectiveness of neural tube defects prevention strategies, program evaluations, applications in development and management of prevention programs, model approaches to monitoring and analysis of trends, survival of infants and children with specific birth defects, policy development
• Program Methodology: Role of advisory committees, model legislation, methods for planning and evaluation, prenatal surveillance
• Epidemiologic methods for birth defects research

Potential contributors should feel free to contact Julianne Collins (864-388-1737 or email julianne@ggc.org) or Russell Kirby (205-934-2985 or email rkirby@uab.edu) for more information or for a consult on topics under consideration. If your idea falls outside the topical areas listed above, we would still like to talk with you about it.   

Birth Defects Research Part A’s Instructions to Authors can be found at the following website: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jabout/102526943/ForAuthors.html.  We also request that each manuscript be accompanied by a cover letter including the names, addresses and telephone number or email address for at least two potential reviewers uninvolved with the current work who might be willing to provide an objective and unbiased review. Manuscripts must have internal clearance, if required for agency submission, and be postmarked by Friday, May 9, 2008.  Please send your manuscript to the following address and contact person:

Julianne Collins, PhD                                                 
JC Self Research Institue of Human Genetics               
Greenwood Genetic Center                                      
113 Gregor Mendel Circle                                                                
Greenwood, SC 29646                                             
Phone: 864-388-1737                                              
FAX: 864-388-1707                                                
Email: julianne@ggc.org

While manuscripts may be submitted in hard copy, we require a copy of the file in a standard word processor format, e.g. Word, as well as any tables or graphics in Excel or another electronic format. We prefer that all submission materials be in a single file.  These can be emailed, or sent on a diskette along with the hard copy of the manuscript.