Columbia, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the March of Dimes announce the launch of the South Carolina Birth Defects Program.
Birth defects affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States each year. They are the leading cause of infant death in South Carolina and a primary contributor to long-term disabilities. Major birth defects are found in 3 percent of live born infants, 15-20 percent of stillborn infants, and by age five years, 4-5 percent of children will be found to have major anomalies. South Carolina Vital and Morbidity Statistics (2001) indicate infant mortality rates from birth defects in South Carolina are higher than the national average. Babies born with birth defects have a greater chance of illness and long term disability than babies without birth defects, and birth defects are responsible for 25-30 percent of pediatric hospitalizations. The economic impact is massive, with health care costs exceeding $6 billion each year in the U.S., according to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Strong statewide birth defects surveillance programs based in public health agencies are fundamental to research, prevention and treatment for birth defects. The first step in the development of this program came about in 2004 when the South Carolina General Assembly passed the S.C. Birth Defects Act. Then, as a result of strong bipartisan support and a campaign led by the South Carolina Chapter of The March of Dimes, legislative funding was provided in July 2006 for the South Carolina Birth Defects Program. The program is operated by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Division of Perinatal Systems. Birth defects monitoring activity previously conducted by Greenwood Genetic Center has been transitioned to DHEC and is being expanded over time to include all major birth defects occurring in the prenatal period through age two. Currently, surveillance of four categories of birth defects including neural tube defects, cardiac defects, limb defects and orofacial defects is ongoing.
Specialized nurse case abstractors based in regions of the state are collecting vital birth defects data in hospital and other medical settings. Statewide birth defects case monitoring is critical for determining rates and trends of birth defects; promoting effective referral of infants and families for appropriate services and care; developing public health strategies for the prevention of birth defects; and conducting research on the causes, distribution and prevention of birth defects.
The causes of structural anomalies are poorly understood, with up to 70 percent of cases unknown. Possible reasons can include chromosomal aberrations, single gene mutations, environmental insults and multifactoral causes. Successful strategies to prevent birth defects have been developed in recent decades and data gained from birth defects surveillance systems help speed the pace of new discoveries.
South Carolina achieved a great reduction, as much as 70 percent, in babies born with neural tube defects (brain and spine defects) through educational campaigns on the importance of taking a folic acid supplement prior to and during pregnancy. This Folic Acid Campaign was led by the Greenwood Genetic Center and March of Dimes. Greenwood Genetic Center, also a major partner along with March of Dimes and DHEC in establishing the SCBDP, is a national leader in neural tube research, prevention and education. The addition of a strong statewide birth defects monitoring system will increase the likelihood of advances like this one, and ultimately will result in healthier children in South Carolina.
Last year, the South Carolina March of Dimes invested more than $4.2 million in program services, including research grants and local community services. Through these grants, the March of Dimes is seeking ways to prevent birth defects and infant death, reduce South Carolina’s increasing premature birth rate, increase access to prenatal care and educate men and women about having healthy babies. The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish Web site at www.nacersano.org.
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Contact:
Jessica Mullen, MSW, S.C. Chapter March of Dimes 803–252-5200
Lyn Phillips, LISW, S.C. Department of Health & Environmental Control 803-898-1287