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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Stacy Doore¹, Shihfen Tu, PhD², Quansheng Song¹, Cecilia Cobo-Lewis¹, Patricia Day³, Toni Wall, Director⁴, and Craig Mason, PhD². (1) Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (UCEDD), University of Maine, 5717 Corbett Hall, Orono, ME 04469, (2) College of Education and Human Development, University of Maine, Corbett Hall, Orono, ME 04469, 207-581-9064, shihfen.tu@umit.maine.edu, (3) Genetics, Birth Defect and Newborn Screening Program, Maine Bureau of Health-Maine Department of Health and Human Services, 11 State House Station, Key Plaza 286 Water Street, Augusta, ME 04330, (4) Children With Special Health Needs Program, Maine Bureau of Health-Maine Department of Health and Human Services, 11 State House Station, Key Plaza 286 Water Street, Augusta, ME 04330

The Maine Birth Defect Registry began statewide data collection in 2003. As a large rural state with only 13,500 births per year, it is difficult to identify birth defects clusters due to low population density. This poster illustrates how a birth defects surveillance system incorporating GIS technology and data linkage can provide clues to patterns in birth outcomes in small, rural populations. This system allows state health officials and public health researchers to monitor birth defects by simultaneously examining spatial, temporal, demographic, and environmental data. It also enables analysis of suspected clusters and trends in a small, homogeneous population. A key aspect is its ability to organize information based on family relationships. This creates the capacity to track information such as residence, occupation, and parental education over time. When combined with GIS-based health, environmental, and census data, this historical information regarding family dynamics, such as movement over time and socio-demographic changes, provides additional depth to a birth defects registry. This can be seen in an expanded capacity to study environmental, genetic, and biological factors related to birth defects, as well as an enhanced ability to examine family-based outcomes following the birth of a child with a birth defect. For example, variations in residence within families in connection to presence of a birth defect and environmental data can be examined. Alternatively, the degree to which families move from low-service rural communities to centralized areas with increased service availability following birth of a child with a birth defect can be assessed.

Learning Objectives:

• • Discuss unique parameters of studying low incidence occurrences in a small, rural population.
• • Identify possible methodological solutions for research in small populations.
• • Recognize how spatial statistical methods can improve understanding of birth outcomes.

Keywords: Birth Defects, Geographic Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered