Maryland Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) Project Total Five-Year Grant Period: 04/15/2011 to 04/14/2016 First Year Budget Period: 04/15/2011 to 04/14/2012 Project Description The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System or PRAMS is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supported surveillance initiative that works with state health departments to collect state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy. The goal is to use generated data to identify ways to prevent maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Objectives and Methods Maryland PRAMS surveys approximately 2,000 new mothers a year 2-9 months after delivery about factors (such as smoking, drinking, partner violence, health care coverage, depression, stressors, assisted reproduction, infections, oral health, chronic disease history) that may have an impact on pregnancy outcome. The Maryland PRAMS survey booklet is sent monthly to a sample of new mothers along with an incentive (a pocket planner). Human Subjects Training occurs annually for all PRAMS staff and was last completed in June 2010. The Maryland PRAMS Project has Maryland DHMH and CDC IRB approval. As of January 2011, 24,256 new mothers in Maryland have been mailed the PRAMS survey since its inception. Annual weighted response rates since 2001 births have been over 69%. PRAMS is administratively housed within the Center for Maternal and Child Health (CMCH). CMCH works closely with the Vital Statistics Administration to implement the Maryland PRAMS project. The Project is primarily staffed with in-kind support from a project coordinator (1.0 FTE), a project director (0.4 FTE), and an epidemiologist (0.4 FTE). In-kind support is also provided by the Director of the Vital Statistics Administration (0.1 FTE) and one of her staff (0.1 FTE). We request that the CDC provide funding for additional staff including a data manager (1.0 FTE), data analyst (0.2 FTE), and language translator/data analyst (0.1 FTE). Maryland PRAMS currently contracts with Clearwater Research, Inc. for the telephone interview phase of the surveys. Data are analyzed annually and currently include reports from 2001 to 2009 birth years. Program briefs completed in 2010 include """"""""Alcohol Use and Binge Drinking"""""""" (April 2010), """"""""Medicaid Coverage"""""""" (May 2010), and """"""""Comments from PRAMS Mothers"""""""" (June 2010). Two publications have been accepted for 2011 - a book chapter and journal research article on alcohol use during pregnancy.
The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System or PRAMS is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supported surveillance initiative that works with state health departments to collect state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy. This population-based data provides a rich source of information, some not otherwise available, for maternal and child health programs and policy.
