Grant: Operating Grant - Secondary Analysis of Databases

Birth defects occur in 3 percent of pregnancies and seriously affect the health of the infant. Caring for birth defects is very costly, both for families and the healthcare system. We need better ways to improve health of babies born with birth defects and to optimize healthcare costs. In this project, we will study two of the most common birth defects in Canada: Gastroschisis (GS), in which intestines come outside of the baby's belly, and Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), in which there is a hole in the muscle below the lungs. About 400 babies are born with these defects each year in Canada. As soon as they are born, all need complex and costly intensive care at specialized hospitals. Even with treatment, many babies with GS and CDH die shortly after birth (20 to 30 percent of babies with CDH) and babies who survive often have lifelong disabilities. We will use information from our Canadian database (called CAPSNet) to study the care of babies with GS and CDH and to see if there are ways to improve their health outcomes. We will compare CAPSNet data with national birth rate data (for example Vital Statistics data from Statistics Canada, and information from The Canadian Community Health Survey), to identify parts of Canada that have high rates of GS and CDH. This research will provide the information needed to prevent GS and CDH, improve care of affected infants, and enhance health care of vulnerable groups. We also hope to create a model by which other rare diseases or other birth defects may be studied. Applying this new information in the hospital will improve the health of affected babies and help to optimize the cost of medical care.