From the President


Welcome to the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) website. 

Founded in 1997, the NBDPN is an organization of state-based programs and other volunteers with an interest in birth defects surveillance, prevention, and serving the needs of children and families affected by birth defects.  Find out more about our mission here.
 
Our members include public health officials, epidemiologists, health care providers, as well as parents and other passionate advocates. More on what our members do and the difference we make can be found here. If you want to be a part of that, please join us!
 
The NBDPN has accomplished a great deal in its first 20 years. Our Guidelines for Conducting Birth Defects Surveillance is a vital resource for new registries or for those wanting to improve what they do.  Our annual reports have provided data from across the United States to researchers, public health agencies, and advocates.  Brief Reports have tackled specific issues such as variability in prevalence data and the occurrence of microcephaly. Our Birth Defects Prevention Month Packet provides resources to assist state program and others interested in raising awareness. Our annual meetings and committees have been excellent venues for collaboration, mentorship, and problem-solving.
 
Several recent and emerging threats like Zika virus, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and COVID-19 have presented new questions and challenges to birth defects registries. These challenges include increased workloads, new case definitions, and demands for timely data. However, through close collaborations with the CDC and other partners, we are successfully answering questions about timing, risk, and the spectrum of outcomes linked with several of these threats. Also, these issues have catapulted birth defects into the awareness of the general public, which has led to new resources and partnerships for the birth defects community and has gone prepared us with a model for the next emerging threat to pregnant women and babies.

I am confident that NBDPN and its partners will continue to rise to the challenge and find new ways to make a difference in the lives of children and families affected by birth defects.
 
Sincerely,
Philip J. Lupo, PhD, MPH
2020 NBDPN President