Serving as a contract research facility to state and national policy making agencies, PPRI has been involved in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) since 2004, which is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored initiative to reduce infant mortality and low birth weight. PRAMS is an on-going state specific, population-based surveillance system designed to identify and monitor selected maternal experiences before, during, and after pregnancy to help determine why some babies are born healthy and others are not.

During this time, data from PRAMS have played a crucial role in informing many internal documents and policy decisions. The PRAMS survey covers a wide range of topics including nutrition, physical activity, pregnancy intention, prenatal care, and breastfeeding. PRAMS data have been and continue to be essential to accurately and fully completing the Title V Block Grant Application, Needs Assessments, and Report Cards. Providing data for these documents are central to receiving ongoing support and direction from our funding partner, the Office of Title V and Family Health. PRAMS data have also been key in presentations to external stakeholders in the state.

The PRAMS Annual Report/Databook is a compilation of the data collected during each birth year. Texas PRAMS data are presented in the Texas PRAMS Annual Report/Databook and are publicly available here

Due to the CDC timeline for data collection, data cleaning, weighting, and file production, reports from PRAMS data are generally available two years after the end of each birth year.

Beginning in 2013, PRAMS data began to be included in the annual Health Texas Babies (HTB) Databook. The HTB Databook is an overview of infant mortality and morbidity in the state and in select communities. Special analyses were added to the HTB Databook from PRAMS that explored barriers to prenatal and postnatal care and characteristics of women who smoked during pregnancy.

More information about PRAMS is available at the web pages for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).