Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention

The Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention expresses our deepest support for colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the broader public health workforce following the tragic events at CDC headquarters in Atlanta last week.

Public health professionals dedicate their careers to protecting and improving the health of every community. Their work is essential to the safety, well-being, and future of our nation. We honor their commitment, share in their grief, and reaffirm the importance of supporting those who serve in these vital roles.

We urge all Americans to recognize and uphold the value of public health and those who dedicate their lives to it.

Read the Public Health Leaders’ Joint Statement in Response to the Attack on CDC here:https://www.aphl.org/news/Documents/8-14-2025_Public-Health-Joint-Statement-on-Attack-on-CDC-FINAL-8-14-25.pdf

www.aphl.org

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Updated Joint Position Statement on Vaccines 💉

The Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (BDRP) and the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) have released an updated position statement reinforcing the critical role of vaccination in protecting the health of pregnant individuals and their children.

Key Updates:
✔️ Continuing support for vaccination – Evidence continues to accumulate supporting the value of vaccines in reducing mortality and morbidity, with an estimated 154 million deaths averted globally in the last 50 years.
✔️ New maternal vaccines – Two new effective and safe vaccines available during pregnancy have been introduced since the previous position statement released in 2020:
🔹 COVID-19 vaccine
🔹 Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine
✔️ Challenges to vaccine uptake – The rise of misinformation and declining vaccination rates threaten decades of progress in preventing vaccine-preventable birth defects and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
✔️ Support for ongoing research and development on future maternal vaccines – Research is ongoing for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Group B Streptococcus (GBS) vaccines, which have the potential to prevent birth defects and severe neonatal infections.

BDRP and OTIS continue to advocate for vaccine education and aim to address public concerns regarding vaccine safety to ensure the best possible outcomes for future generations.

📄 Read the full position statement here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bdr2.2433

Updated Joint Position Statement on Vaccines From the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists Click on the article title to read more.

🌟 Educational Resources for Birth Defects Awareness Month 🌟

MotherToBaby, in partnership with the National Birth Defects Prevention Network, has launched exciting new tools and resources to raise awareness and enhance understanding of prenatal exposures and their impacts:

🎯 Interactive Pregnancy Tool:
The Critical Periods of Pregnancy Tool allows users to explore how prenatal exposures can impact different stages of development. By entering the last menstrual period or estimated due date, users can visualize key developmental milestones, such as the formation of the heart and lungs, and learn about their timing relative to exposures.

Visit this tool here: https://mothertobaby.org/critical-periods-pregnancy-development-tool/

🎙️ FASD Podcast Series:
MotherToBaby’s 3-part podcast series on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), developed in collaboration with the CDC and FASD United (formerly NOFAS), provides critical education on recognizing and addressing FASD.

Listen here: https://mothertobaby.org/podcast/ep-81-fasd-discovery-and-prevalence/

📅 Free Webinar on FASD:
Join Dr. Noemi Spinazzi of the American Academy of Pediatrics for a free webinar on January 31, 2025, at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET. Designed for healthcare providers, the webinar will provide actionable insights into FASD prevention, diagnosis, and care.

Register here: https://momtobaby.org/FASDwebinar2025

At the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, we celebrate these innovative efforts to educate families, healthcare professionals, researchers and the public to prevent and address birth defects.

Interactive Tool: Critical Periods of Pregnancy Use the MotherToBaby pregnancy calculator and chart below to determine how far along you are and see how your baby develops during pregnancy. This interactive tool shows when the baby’s body parts could be most sensitive to exposures, and is best displayed on a desktop. Please click on each part o...

A heartfelt thank you to our 2024 Sustaining Members!

Platinum Level: Charles River Labs
Gold Level: AbbVie and GSK
Silver Level: Pfizer, , and Eli Lilly and Company

Your support enables BDRP to remain a vital platform for fostering multi-disciplinary research, exchange of ideas, and continuing education throughout the year.

Together, we are advancing toward a future where all babies are born free from preventable birth defects and disorders of developmental origin. We look forward to continuing this important work with you!