Study Center
California represents 15% of all births in the United States. This year alone, 17,000 babies with birth defects will be born in California, and as many as 2,000 of these babies will die before their first birthday. Discovering causes is our only hope for preventing these outcomes.
The California Center is a collaborative partnership between, Stanford University and the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program in the Department of Public Health. The Center collects data from women residing in eight counties in the Central Valley. It has been funded by CDC since 1997.
Principal Investigators:
 Gary Shaw, DrPH, is Principal Investigator for the California Center. Dr. Shaw has been conducting research on birth defects for over 20 years and is a recognized leader in birth defects research. He has produced numerous publications on birth defect causes related to diet, obesity, drugs, alcohol, stress, pollution, occupations, and genes. Dr. Shaw is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University...Read More
 Suzan Carmichael, PhD, is Co-Investigator for the California Center and joined the Center in 1998. She is a recognized leader in birth defects research and has produced numerous publications on birth defect causes related to diet, obesity, drugs, alcohol, stress, pollution, occupations, and genes. Dr. Carmichael is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University.…Read More
Local Activities and Research:
Our research answers why certain racial or ethnic groups are at higher risk of birth defects.
- Why are Latinos at increased risk of brain and spinal birth defects?
- Why are African-American babies with birth defects more likely to die?
Our research answers questions from parents in California about how to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
- Will stress hurt my baby?
- Will eating certain foods help my baby?
Our research answers questions about environmental exposures that are especially important in California.
- Does exposure to pesticides, contaminated water, or air pollution cause birth defects?
Partners:
Stanford University
California Birth Defects Monitoring Program, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division/Center for Family Health, California Department of Public Health
Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute
University of California, San Francisco
March of Dimes Foundation
Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences and Technology
Recent Publications:
Carmichael S, Rasmussen S, Lammer E, Chen M, Shaw G and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Craniosynostosis and nutrient intake during pregnancy. BDRA. 2010 Dec;88(12):1032-9
Ma C, Carmichael SL, Scheuerle AE, Canfield MA, Shaw GM; National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Association of microtia with maternal obesity and periconceptional folic acid use. Am J Med Genet A. 2010 Nov;152A(11):2756-61. Sanchez-Lara PA, Carmichael SL, Graham, Jr JM, Lammer EJ, Shaw GM, Ma C, Rasmussen SA and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Fetal Constraint as a Potential Risk Factor for Craniosynostosis. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2010; 152A:394–400.
Carmichael SL, Ma C, Werler MM, Olney RS, Shaw GM, and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Maternal corticosteroid use and hypospadias. J Pediatr. 2009 Jul;155(1):39-44, 44.e1. Epub 2009 Apr 24.
Carmichael SL, Yang W, Correa A, Olney RS, Shaw GM, for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Hypospadias and intake of nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism. Journal of Urology. 2009;181:315-321. Epub 2008 Nov 13. |
