CDC Birth Defect Grant Opportunities
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitors, investigates, and
assists with the control and treatment of diseases in the United States
and worldwide. This federal agency in cooperation with the National Birth
Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) promotes the accurate reporting of
birth defects and has provided funding to a number of states to assist
them in developing better systems for birth defects monitoring. The
ultimate goal is to prevent birth defects by recognizing their incidence
and prevalence and identifying and eliminating their causes.
In 2000, the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (now
the Department of Health Services) was
chosen to receive grant funds from the CDC to assist in improving the
Wisconsin Birth Defect Prevention and Surveillance Program. The $360,000
grant provided support for three years and included funding to assist in
the implementation of Wisconsin Statute 253.12. The grant should
have ended in 2003 but a carryover year was applied for and approved by
CDC because passage of the legislation and rules took longer than
originally anticipated.
The funding was used for start-up costs to institute the Council on
Birth Defect Prevention and Surveillance and, with their direction and
active participation, to develop the Wisconsin Birth Defects Registry (WBDR)
as a secure web-based birth defects reporting system. The funding
was also used to support pilot projects at four reporting entities across
the state. During the pilot project in 2003 and 2004, the four sites
worked with staff from the DHFS, Division of Public Health, Maternal and
Child Health Program, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)
Unit to provide input, testing, and practical advice on birth defects
reporting. One key outcome of the pilot project was the development
of an upload process whereby sites can report birth defects directly to
the WBDR website from their electronic patient records system.
CDC periodically offers competitive grants to support state birth
defects programs. The Wisconsin Birth Defect Prevention and
Surveillance System will apply for future funding to improve reporting,
support prevention activities in the state, and promote referral to
appropriate services for affected children and their families.
Last Revised: October 24, 2008 |
