| The Birth Defects Information System (BDIS) bill has been approved by the Senate, the House of Representatives and signed by Governor Pawlenty as part of the Human Services Licensing Bill. This system means improved access to resources for families with children born with birth defects and better development of research and prevention strategies to reduce birth defects.
Current statute (MS 144.2215) allows for the creation of a BDIS. However, additional clarifying language is needed to address data privacy, liability, opt out, and data use concerns.
Importance of BDIS
State Birth Defects Information Systems play a vital role in detecting birth defects trends, providing guidance to research and prevention, and directing individuals and families to needed services.
The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. We believe in a two-pronged approach to prevention: research to identify causes and prevention tools, and access to health care so women and infants can benefit from existing medical knowledge.
A Minnesota BDIS will help doctors better treat more children with birth defects, will help put their families in contact with needed services, and will help develop research and prevention strategies to reduce birth defects.
Background
Nationally, an estimated 150,000 babies are born each year with birth defects. One in five infant deaths is due to birth defects, making them the leading cause of infant mortality.
Little is known about the actual causes of birth defects. Approximately 20% of birth defects may be attributed to genetic factors, another 10% attributed to environmental factors (including drug or alcohol abuse, infections, or exposure to certain medications or other chemicals), and the causes of the remaining 70% are currently unknown.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2/3 of all states have some type of birth defects monitoring program.
BDIS in Minnesota
According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), it is estimated that each year, more than 2,000 babies in Minnesota are born with birth defects.
Current data regarding birth defects is not systematically collected, analyzed, and reported. Many studies have shown that birth defects are severely under-reported on birth certificates. In a small sample of Minnesota hospitals, it was found that only 30.5% of the birth certificates were accurate when compared to the medical records. |
