Study Center: Georgia
The Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides technical and administrative oversight to the Centers for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (CBDRP). CDC also coordinates the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) data management and analyses and serves as the Georgia study site. CDC brings a lot of experience, like studying medication use among pregnant women and finding new ways to look at the data. In addition, CDC keeps track of birth defects in Atlanta through the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP). MACDP has collected data in Atlanta since 1968 and serves as a model for other state surveillance systems.
By participating in the NBDPS, more than 3,000 women from Georgia have helped us to understand the causes of birth defects. For more information on the Georgia study center, please visit the website.
Contact
Phone: 404-498-4315
E-mail: NBDPS@cdc.gov
Principal Investigators
Dr. Marilyn Browne, PhD
Principal Investigator
Marilyn Browne is a Research Scientist at the New York State Department of Health and an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health. Her focus is gaps in knowledge about the risks and benefits of different treatments for chronic maternal conditions.
Dr. Marilyn Browne, PhD
Principal Investigator
Marilyn Browne is a Research Scientist at the New York State Department of Health and an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health. Her focus is gaps in knowledge about the risks and benefits of different treatments for chronic maternal conditions.
Local Activities and Research
Our research answers why certain racial or ethnic groups are at higher risk of birth defects.
- Why are Latinos at increased risk of brain and spinal birth defects?
- Why are African-American babies with birth defects more likely to die?
Our research answers questions from parents in California about how to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
- Will stress hurt my baby?
- Will eating certain foods help my baby?
Our research answers questions about environmental exposures that are especially important in California.
Notable Research Findings
The following are selected examples of important research publications led by the NY Center.
Zhang W, Spero TL, Nolte CG, Garcia VC, Lin Z, Romitti PA, Shaw GM, Sheridan SC, Feldkamp ML, Woomert A, Hwang SA, Fisher SC, Browne ML, Hao Y, Lin S and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Projected Changes in Maternal Heat Exposure During Early Pregnancy and the Associated Congenital Heart Defect Burden in the United States. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019 Feb 5;8(3):e010995. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.118.010995.
Fisher SC, Van Zutphen AR, Werler MM, Romitti PA, Cunniff C, Browne ML and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Maternal antihypertensive medication use and selected birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Birth Defects Res. 2018 Nov 15;110(19):1433-1442. doi: 10.1002/bdr2.1372.
Howley MM., Feldkamp ML, Papadopoulos EA, Fisher SC, Arnold KE, Browne Ml and the Nation al Birth Defects Prevention Study. Maternal genitourinary infections and risk of birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Birth Defects Res. 2018 Nov 15;110(19):1443-1454. doi: 10.1002/bdr2.1409.
Fisher SC, Van Zutphen AR, Werler MM, Lin AE, Romitti PA, Druschel CM, Browne ML and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Maternal antihypertensive medication use and congenital heart defects: Updated results from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Hypertension. 2017 May;69(5):798-805. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.08773. Epub 2017 Apr 3.
Howley MM, Carter TC, Browne ML, Romitti PA, Cunniff CM, Druschel CM; National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Fluconazole use and birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016 May;214(5):657.e1-9.