New York State birth defects and pregnancy exposures program (BD‑STEPS)
Official title: New York State BD-STEPS: Component A and B
Funded at Nysdoh/health Research, INC. · NIH-11137547 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program looks at pregnancy exposures and other factors that might cause birth defects to help families and babies in New York State.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nysdoh/health Research, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Menands, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $855,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DD001304-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11137547 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant people or parents of infants born in the participating New York State catchment areas, including families of infants with and without birth defects.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the participating New York State areas or who do not have a current or recent pregnancy are unlikely to be able to take part or directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you join, the team will identify babies born with specific birth defects and compare them to babies without defects from two different New York State areas to look for patterns. They will collect information about medications, chronic and infectious diseases, jobs, and social factors, and link medical records and residual newborn bloodspots for genetic study. The project will connect to the State’s disease surveillance system to see if infections before or during pregnancy relate to birth defects. The researchers will also test and improve ways of collecting information so it is easier for pregnant people and parents to share their experiences.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help prevent some birth defects by identifying risky exposures and improving pregnancy guidance and public health actions.
How similar studies have gone: This continues the long-running NBDPS/BD-STEPS collaboration that has previously identified links between specific exposures and birth defect risks, so the approach builds on established successful work.
Where this research is happening
-
Nysdoh/health Research, INC.
Menands, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Howley, Meredith M — Nysdoh/health Research, INC.
- Study coordinator: Howley, Meredith M
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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.