News

What is Congenital Heart Disease?

Congenital heart disease (CHD) represents the most prevalent form of congenital anomaly in the world, implicated in over 180,000 infant deaths annually, and stands as a significant contributor to lifelong disabilities. In Canada, the prevalence of CHD is 12.3 per 1,000 births, translating to approximately 4,400 newborns affected each year out of an annual birth tally of 358,000. The repercussions of CHD stretch far beyond the affected individuals, touching their families and exerting substantial pressure on the healthcare system.

Data from the BORN Information System was recently used to explore temporal trends and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine coverage and series initiation during pregnancy in Ontario from December 2020 to December 2021

While cell-free DNA screening (also known as Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing) performs very well for the detection of trisomies 21/18/13, it can at times fail to yield a result.

Although rare, some newborns who appear healthy at birth have serious, even life-threatening conditions. Newborn screening, a simple blood test administered shortly after birth, evaluates babies for a panel of over 25 treatable diseases. Offering screening to every baby in Ontario is important because early diagnosis and proper treatment can make the difference between significant health challenges and optimizing or improving developmental outcomes. BORN Ontario and Newborn Screening Ontario (NSO) work together to ensure this happens.

This week we're celebrating the sonography profession and the important role sonographers play in providing quality healthcare to Canadians. Sonographers help diagnose disease...

BORN is launching a new report in the BORN Information System: the Safe Administration of Oxytocin. 

Learn about the report by joining one of the upcoming webinars! 

Data from the BORN Information System was recently used to investigate the association of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy with risk of preterm birth, small for gestational age at birth, and stillbirth.

Join Zoom Webinar

DATE: Thursday, May 26, 2022 from 12-1PM (EST) 

OBJECTIVES:

1. To present the latest research on COVID-19 vaccination coverage across Ontario.
2. To discuss the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period, with a focus on how to support families navigating vaccination decisions.
3. To support those working with pregnant and expectant families in making informed COVID-19 vaccination-related decisions throughout pregnancy and postpartum.

Ontario has a three-phase vaccination plan, and as of April 23, pregnancy has been further prioritized to the "highest risk" category in phase two of the vaccine roll out. All pregnant individuals in Ontario are now eligible to get vaccinated for COVID-19.  More details will be posted as information becomes available.