State-Based Tracking Systems
Colorado
Program: Colorado Responds to Children with Special Needs (CRCSN)
Organization: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Project Period: February 2010–January 2015
Project Director: Margaret Ruttenber, MSPH
Website: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/crcsn
The Colorado Responds to Children with Special Needs (CRCSN) is a statewide, population-based birth defects tracking and prevention program that was created in 1989. CRCSN monitors about 68,000 births per year and collects information from multiple sources on children up to three years of age with birth defects and risk factors for developmental delay. CRCSN uses this data to improve access to health services and early intervention programs.
Grantee Goals and Activities
Surveillance
- Monitor trends in birth defects in Colorado.
- Achieve timely and complete reporting of data sources.
- Evaluate surveillance methods to describe the data.
- Enhance data use and dissemination through website, queryable database, multi-state collaboration, and partnership engagement.
Prevention
- Increase awareness and use of folic acid to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) and monitor trends.
- Counsel women who have an NTD-affected pregnancy to reduce the risk of NTDs in future pregnancies using Public Health Service recommendations for folic acid.
- Maintain a leadership role with the Colorado Folic Acid Task Force.
Referrals
- Refer children who meet CRCSN criteria to health services and early intervention programs.
- Collaborate with the Health Care Program for Children with Special Needs to refer children and collect tracking and outcome evaluation data.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of referral activities.
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
1600 Clifton Road
MS E-87
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
New Hours of Operation
8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov