Arkansas birth defects and stillbirth center
Birth Defects Study to Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS (BD-STEPS) Core? Arkansas Center and Stillbirth
Collecting information from pregnant people and families to find pregnancy-related causes of birth defects and stillbirths so future families can be helped.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136832 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This Arkansas center is part of a national effort to study birth defects and stillbirths. If you join, researchers may ask you about health and exposures during pregnancy, review medical records, and sometimes collect blood or other samples. They compare families affected by birth defects or stillbirths with families whose babies were unaffected to spot patterns. The aim is to find causes that could be prevented and improve care for mothers and babies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who had a pregnancy resulting in a baby with a major structural birth defect or a stillbirth (and some families with unaffected births for comparison) in Arkansas or nearby areas are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without recent pregnancies, those whose child’s condition is unrelated to structural birth defects, or those living well outside the study region may not be eligible or benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify pregnancy exposures or other risk factors that can be changed to lower the chance of birth defects and stillbirths.
How similar studies have performed: Previous CDC-led efforts like the National Birth Defects Prevention Study have successfully linked pregnancy exposures to specific birth defects, so this builds on established methods.
Where this research is happening
Little Rock, United States
- Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis — Little Rock, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nembhard, Wendy N — Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
- Study coordinator: Nembhard, Wendy N
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.