The Centers for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (CBDRP) is a group of research centers that are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the causes of birth defects. Working collaboratively the CBDRP group seeks to increase knowledge about the causes of birth defects by tracking their incidence, undertaking research and partnering with other health bodies. Congress authorized the creation of the CBDRP through an act of Congress that was called the Birth Defect Prevention Act 1998.
This act authorized the following activities:
- The collection and analysis of data about birth defects and the dissemination of this information.
- The creation of regional centers to conduct research on how to prevent birth defects.
- To provide the public with information to help in the prevention of birth defects.
Since the passage of the act, CBDRP centers have been established in ten states that have existing birth defects programs that are recognized as having the most expertise in tracking and research of birth defects.