Arkansas birth defects and stillbirth center
Official title: Birth Defects Study to Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS (BD-STEPS) Core? Arkansas Center and Stillbirth
Funded at Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis · NIH-11136832 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $855,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DD001306-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11136832 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Birth Defects Prevention: How Pregnancy Exposures Shape Birth Outcomes (BD STEPS) for Massachusetts families
A Massachusetts team is studying how pregnancy exposures may influence birth defects to help families reduce risk in future pregnancies.
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Birth Defects Study to Understand Causes of Structural Birth Defects
A nationwide effort to find how genes and environment combine to cause structural birth defects, with the Arkansas Birth Defects study centers coordinating a pregnancy exposure look-back.
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Massachusetts center for birth defects and stillbirth prevention
This project looks at pregnancy exposures to find things people can avoid to lower the risk of structural birth defects and stillbirth.
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Investigating pregnancy exposures that may cause birth defects
This study is looking at ways to help pregnant women reduce the risk of birth defects by understanding how different things during pregnancy can affect their baby's health, and it will also help train new researchers in this important area.
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Investigating the causes of birth defects and their long-term effects on health.
This study is looking at what causes birth defects in babies, hoping to find ways to prevent them, and it’s for families who have been affected by these issues, as well as for moms and their children to help improve their health.
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How air pollution during pregnancy affects fetal growth over time
This study looks at how air pollution affects the growth of babies in the womb during pregnancy, using ultrasound images to track changes over time, and it aims to help expectant parents understand when their babies might be most at risk from pollution.
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.