CDC/AMCHP PeriStats Expansion Project

The March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center received funding to enhance PeriStats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through a collaborative project with the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). Over the next year, the Perinatal Data Center will expand maternal and infant health data available through PeriStats to include information on fetal, perinatal and maternal mortality, and data on risk factors from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), as well as improve the functionality of the website.

U.S. Newborn Screening Map for SCID Added on PeriStats

In 2010, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) was added to the core conditions that states should routinely screen for and for which there is effective treatment. SCID is a term that describes a group of rare inherited disorders characterized by defects in two critical immune system cells that are normally mobilized by the body to combat infections. The 30 core newborn screening conditions are based on the report issued by the American College of Medical Genetics and guidance provided in 2010 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. SCID is now included in a series of downloadable United States maps on PeriStats that show the screening status in each state for the 30 core conditions. Click here to access the SCID screening map.

PeriStats data update: 2008 birth data are available

• In 2008, 1 in 12 babies (8.2 percent of live births) was low birthweight in the United States. Between 1998 and 2008, the rate of infants born low birthweight in the United States increased nearly 8 percent. For more topics on low birthweight, click here.
• In 2008, 1 in 8 babies was born preterm in the United States. There were 523,033 preterm births in the United States, representing 12.3 percent of live births. For more topics on preterm birth, click here.

What is the Perinatal Data Center?

The March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center analyzes maternal and infant health data and interprets this information for use by health professionals, research groups, and the media. Perinatal Data Center staff collaborate and provide guidance on epidemiological and statistical analyses and grants and present analytical findings at national conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

To contact the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center,
email us at peristats@marchofdimes.com.