March 3 2026: World Birth Defects Day

WHEREAS, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics registers, preserves, and issues certified copies of vital records, including birth, death, fetal death certificates for significant life and death events that occur in Michigan; and,

WHEREAS, vital statistics are compiled from these registries, and from Michigan’s Central Cancer Registry and Birth Defects Registry, to support public health, policy development and biomedical research; and,

WHEREAS, established in 1992, the Michigan Birth Defects Registry is a statewide reporting system that collects statistical data used to conduct studies of birth defect causes and prevention; and,

WHEREAS, annually one out of every 15 Michigan babies is born with a reportable birth defect; and,

WHEREAS, the Michigan Birth Defects Registry continues to enhance electronic data reporting to improve the time of data submissions, data quality, and to collect more complete records of data submitted by medical facilities; and,

WHEREAS, this continuous improvement assists public health programs and researchers in minimizing the incidence and impact of birth defect conditions, and enables Michigan families to be connected with needed resources; and,

WHEREAS, early identification of a child with a birth defect coupled with early intervention services can improve the child’s quality of life; and,

WHEREAS, affordable, accessible, and culturally responsive health care in birth defect diagnoses is needed to address unmet health needs, delays in receiving appropriate care, and obtaining preventative services; and,

WHEREAS, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services administers the Birth Defects Education, Outreach and Surveillance Program, which focuses on promoting healthy pregnancies, birth defects awareness, improving the health of individuals affected by birth defects, and tracking birth defects data;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim March 3, 2026, World Birth Defects Day in Michigan.