title: Birth defects epidemiology.
abstract: This article provides background information about epidemiologic methods and how they can be used to further our understanding of what causes birth defects. It briefly describes basic study designs and advantages and disadvantages of each, provides examples of how epidemiologic studies contribute to our current understanding of the etiologies of birth defects, and makes recommendations for future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal & Developmental Medicine, Stanford University, 1265 Welch Road, Rm. X111, Stanford, CA 94305-5415, USA. Electronic address: scarmichael@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Suzan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Carmichael
mesh_terms: D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design
keywords: Birth defects; Epidemiology; Genetics