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CHARTing Health Information

This LibGuide has been designed to provide a comprehensive collection of links to publicly available health and health determinants data. While the emphasis is on the state of Texas, there are links to sites that cover all of the U.S.

Key to the Texas symbol

This symbol indicates that the resource provides data only for Texas.

If there is no symbol, the resource provides data for all US states including Texas.

Births Defects Data Resources

Birth Defects (Texas Health Data)
Produced by: Texas Department of State Health Services Geographic coverage: County level; Public Health               Region level; State level; Border Residence Status
Dates of coverage: 1999 to 2006

Includes: For county, public health region, or border residence status: birth defect (multiple birth defects can be selected), geographic area of residence, and year. Data output is by Frequencies only, Frequencies and Percents by Column, Frequencies and Percents by Row, and Frequencies and Rates with Confidence Intervals at 95% or 99%.

State variables also include: mother's race/ethnicity, age, and baby's gender.

Other Information: Interactive database. For additional information, see Glossary of Birth Defects Terms and Tips when using Texas Birth Defects Registry Data.

Birth Defects Epidemiology & Surveillance 
Produced by: Texas Department of State Health Services Geographic coverage: State level; Health Service Region level
Dates of coverage: 2000 through 2009

The reports let you review the the data by prevalence of birth defects (over all years); number by year; by mother's age; mother's race/ethnicity; infant/fetus sex; by region of the state; and by distributions of pregnancy outcomes.

Birth defect cluster investigations is simply a list of investigations, the location of the incidents, the dates in question, and the status of the investigations (ongoing/closed). Findings are not included in this table.

HCUPnet Hospitalizations
Produced by: US Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
Geographic coverage: State level
Dates of coverage:  1997 through current

Follow these steps to retrieve data on birth defect hospitalizations:

Grouped by Clinical Classification

  1. Choose State Statistics on All Stays
  2. Choose Researcher, medical professional
  3. Choose Statistics on specific diagnosis or procedures
  4. Scroll down to Texas; select a year
  5. Diagnoses Grouped by Clinical Classification Software
    • Select Principal diagnosis or All-list diagnoses
  6. Choose All discharges
  7. Scroll down to 14. Congenital Anomalies.
    • Hold down the <shift> to highlight all of the diagnoses under that term, being sure to include Congenital Anomalies as well.

Grouped by ICD-9-CM

  1. Choose State Statistics on All Stays
  2. Choose Researcher, medical professional
  3. Choose Statistics on specific diagnosis or procedures
  4. Scroll down to Texas; select a year
  5. Specific Diagnosis by ICD-9-CM
  6. Select Principal diagnosis or All-list diagnoses
  7. Enter: 7400-7590
    • Decide if you want statistics for each code separately or combined
  8. Select Patient and hospital characteristics
    • You may want to include age as one of your characteristics

National Birth Defects Prevention Network 
Produced by: NBDPN
Geographic coverage: State level
Dates of coverage: Annual publication

All states have profiles at this site; the data is typically gathered from state birth defects registries.  The profiles are an overview rather than an attempt to provide any in-depth local information.

Vital Statistics Annual Reports Texas resources
Produced by: Texas Department of State Health Services
Geographic coverage: State level
Dates of coverage: 2001 - 2012 

 

 

 

 

Both Table 31 and Table 32 have data by race/ethnicity and sex

 

PeriStats
Produced by: March of Dimes
Geographic coverage: State level;
Dates of coverage:

Use the site search box to look for "birth defects" Texas

It's not perfect but there are some reports that will pop up.  A list of some them is found to the left.  Unfortunately it doesn't appear to be very easy to retrieve birth defects reports by using the select topic tool at the PeriStats site.