Birth Defects Included in the Study
BD-STEPS collects information on babies who have at least one of 22 major birth defects. Researchers chose these 22 conditions because they can be severe, are more common, can have high health care use or costs, can be identified consistently across study sites, or because previous findings have warranted more in-depth research.
Birth Defects Studied in BD-STEPS by Body System Affected
Central Nervous System (Brain and Spine)
Spina bifida without anencephaly
Microcephaly with a coexisting brain anomaly*
Holoprosencephaly*
Gastrointestinal (Gut)
Musculoskeletal (Muscles and Bones)
Arthrogryposis*
* Included in study as of 2020