Information & Referral: January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month

The National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) sponsors an Awareness Month every January to raise awareness about the causes and prevalence of birth defects and how health care professionals and the general public can help prevent birth defects. This year's theme focuses on addressing diabetes in women of childbearing age as a risk factor for birth defects.

NBDPN is a group of individuals involved in birth defects surveillance, research and prevention. It was created to establish and maintain a national network of state- and population-based programs for birth defects surveillance and research. The network assesses the impact of birth defects upon children, families and health care; identifies factors that can be used to develop primary prevention strategies; and assists families and their providers in secondary disabilities prevention.

NBDPN provides Awareness Month resources such as sample press releases, proclamations, public educational materials and suggestions on how to use the materials. Please help spread this information in your community.

You may read more about how diabetes impacts people with disabilities from a previous UCPeople article.

Additional Resources:

• Diabetes and Pregnancy
• Managing Pre-exisiting Diabetes During Pregnancy
• National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse