Remote Delivery of Allied and Behavioral Healthcare During COVID-19 for Children With Developmental Disabilities.

Objective: Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD) transitioned to telehealth services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objectives were to describe reductions in allied and behavioral healthcare services and receipt of caregiver training to deliver services at home because of COVID-19 for children with ASD and other DD, and factors associated with worse response to remote delivery of services for children with ASD.

Method: Prior to the pandemic, children 2 to 5 years of age were enrolled in a multi-site case-control study and completed a developmental assessment.

Health and Education Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities.

Objective: Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected children with disabilities is essential for future public health emergencies. We compared children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with those with another developmental disability (DD) and from the general population (POP) regarding (1) missed or delayed appointments for regular health/dental services, immunizations, and specialty services; (2) reasons for difficulty accessing care; and (3) use of remote learning and school supports.

Method: Caregivers of children previously enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development, a case-control study of children with ASD implemented during 2017 to 2020, were recontacted during January-June 2021 to learn about services during March-December 2020.

Variation in identifying children and adolescents with disability and developmental disability in population-based public health surveys.

Background: The term "developmental disability" (DD) is inconsistently defined and applied depending on purpose and across sources, including in legislation.

Objective: This project aimed to identify existing definitions of disability and DD and to determine the extent to which each definition could be operationalized to produce prevalence estimates using data from U.S.

Prenatal ultrasound use and risk of autism spectrum disorder: Findings from the case-control Study to Explore Early Development.

Background: Studies evaluating the association between prenatal ultrasounds and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have largely produced negative results. Concern remains due to the rising identification of children with ASD and ultrasound use.

Objective: To evaluate the association between prenatal ultrasound use and ASD.

Modifications to student quarantine policies in K-12 schools implementing multiple COVID-19 prevention strategies restores in-person education without increasing SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk, January-March 2021.

Objective: To determine whether modified K-12 student quarantine policies that allow some students to continue in-person education during their quarantine period increase schoolwide SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk following the increase in cases in winter 2020-2021.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 cases and close contacts among students and staff (n = 65,621) in 103 Missouri public schools. Participants were offered free, saliva-based RT-PCR testing.

Associations between maternal reports of periconceptional fever from miscellaneous causes and structural birth defects.

Background: Associations between birth defects and fevers attributed to colds, influenza, and urinary tract infections (UTIs) have been observed in previous studies. Our aim was to study associations between birth defects and fevers attributed to other causes.

Methods: We analyzed data from 34,862 participants in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a multistate case-control study of major structural birth defects.

Estimating the number of people with Tourette syndrome and persistent tic disorder in the United States.

Estimates of the number of people in the U.S. with Tourette syndrome or other persistent tic disorders can inform service provision planning.

Health Needs and Use of Services Among Children with Developmental Disabilities - United States, 2014-2018.

Developmental delays, disorders, or disabilities (DDs) manifest in infancy and childhood and can limit a person's function throughout life* (1-3). To guide strategies to optimize health for U.S.

Prevalence of neural tube defects, maternal HIV status, and antiretroviral therapy from a hospital-based birth defect surveillance in Kampala, Uganda.

Background: The estimated prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in Africa is 11.7 per 10,000 live births; however, data on the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy and the risk for birth defects in Africa are limited.

Methods: Data from a hospital-based surveillance program at four hospitals in Kampala, Uganda were used to estimate the baseline prevalence of NTDs and assess potential associations with HIV status and ART use.

Pregnancy, Birth, Infant, and Early Childhood Neurodevelopmental Outcomes among a Cohort of Women with Symptoms of Zika Virus Disease during Pregnancy in Three Surveillance Sites, Project (VEZ), Colombia, 2016-2018.

Project (VEZ), an intensified surveillance of pregnant women with symptoms of the Zika virus disease (ZVD) in Colombia, aimed to evaluate the relationship between symptoms of ZVD during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy, birth, and infant outcomes and early childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes. During May-November 2016, pregnant women in three Colombian cities who were reported with symptoms of ZVD to the national surveillance system, or with symptoms of ZVD visiting participating clinics, were enrolled in Project VEZ. Data from maternal and pediatric (up to two years of age) medical records were abstracted.

Maternal Smoking and Congenital Heart Defects, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2011.

Objectives: To assess associations between maternal smoking and congenital heart defects (CHDs) in offspring.

Study Design: We performed a retrospective case-control study using data for cases of CHD (n = 8339) and nonmalformed controls (n = 11 020) from all years (1997-2011) of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Maternal self-reported smoking 1 month before through 3 months after conception was evaluated as a binary (none, any) and categorical (light, medium, heavy) exposure.

Point-of-Care Antigen Test for SARS-CoV-2 in Asymptomatic College Students.

We used the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card to screen 1,540 asymptomatic college students for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in a low-prevalence setting. Compared with reverse transcription PCR, BinaxNOW showed 20% overall sensitivity; among participants with culturable virus, sensitivity was 60%. BinaxNOW provides point-of-care screening but misses many infections.

Periconceptional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, folic acid intake, and the risk of spina bifida.

Background: Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during pregnancy may increase risk for neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida. Folic acid intake can prevent NTDs, but it is not known whether it modifies any risks associated with NSAID use.

Objectives: To assess the impact of periconceptional NSAID use on the risk of spina bifida overall and stratified by folic acid intake.

Modification of the association between diabetes and birth defects by obesity, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2011.

Background: Maternal pregestational diabetes and obesity are risk factors for birth defects. Diabetes and obesity often occur together; it is unclear whether their co-occurrence compounds birth defect risk.

Methods: We analyzed 1997-2011 data on 29,671 cases and 10,963 controls from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a multisite case-control study.

Comparative analysis of perinatal outcomes and birth defects amongst adolescent and older Ugandan mothers: evidence from a hospital-based surveillance database.

Background: Uganda has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in sub-Saharan Africa. We compared the risk of adverse birth outcomes between adolescents (age 12-19 years) and mothers (age 20-34 years) in four urban hospitals.

Methods: Maternal demographics, HIV status, and birth outcomes of all live births, stillbirths, and spontaneous abortions delivered from August 2015 to December 2018 were extracted from a hospital-based birth defects surveillance database.

Folic acid antagonist use before and during pregnancy and risk for selected birth defects.

Background: Maternal folic acid (FA) intake before and during early pregnancy reduces the risk for neural tube defects (NTDs); evidence suggests it may also reduce the risk for oral clefts, urinary defects, and cardiac defects. We sought to re-examine the use of drugs, which affect folate metabolism, dihydrofolate reductase inhibiting (DHFRI) medications, and anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), in data collected in the post-FA fortification era (1998+) in the Slone Birth Defects Study.

Methods: We assessed maternal DHFRI and AED use and risk for NTDs, oral clefts, and urinary and cardiac defects.

Periconceptional stressors and social support and risk for adverse birth outcomes.

Background: The prevalence of preterm birth and low birth weight has been increasing slightly in recent years. A few studies have suggested that psychosocial stress during pregnancy may increase risk for these adverse birth outcomes. To extend those observations, we analyzed various major life event stressors separately and cumulatively as potential risk factors for preterm birth and low birth weight using granular categories of each outcome in a large, population-based study.