Prenatal Surveillance & Epidemiology

Who we are

Perinatal Program Newfoundland Labrador (PPNL) collects, summarizes, interprets and reports on perinatal events, outcomes and care processes at the provincial, regional and community level.

Prenatal surveillance and epidemiology information is used for surveillance activities, maternal/infant health program and policy development and to facilitate and support research and quality assurance initiatives in perinatology and developmental outcomes.

What we do

Requests for grouped or record-level information can be requested by completing the data request form (PDF).

With respect to privacy, PPNL follows Eastern Health’s Access and Privacy policies. All information is protected under The Newfoundland and Labrador Personal Health Information Act (PHIA). All research requests for record-level information must be accompanied by documentation of ethics approval from Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Research Ethics Authority (HREA) and Eastern Health’s Research Proposals Approval Committee (RPAC).

Depending on the nature of the project, approval may also be required from the relevant regional health authority (i.e., Central Health, Western Health, Labrador Grenfell Health). Research involving or implicating specific Aboriginal communities may also require approval from the relevant community Research Advisory Committee(s).

Description of Data Sets

• Provincial Perinatal Surveillance Program (PPSP): Mom and baby health information is collected for babies born within the province. Variables collected include demographics, procedures, interventions, maternal and newborn diagnoses and morbidity and mortality data.
• Follow-up clinic data set: The follow-up clinic provides a clinical service for infants identified as being at increased risk for development delay. Newborns who meet one or more of the clinic’s admission criteria are referred by the attending physician or nursing staff of the birthing facility, or by the community health nurse. The children are followed by a pediatrician up to three years of age.
• NL Congenital Anomalies Surveillance System: In partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada, health information on children diagnosed with congenital anomalies at birth or within one year after birth is collected from a variety of secondary sources, including the Provincial Perinatal Surveillance Program (PPSP), the Janeway Children’s Rehabilitation Centre pediatric clinics and other Eastern Health departments/units.
• Breastfeeding data set: This dataset contains information on breastfeeding rates for each baby born in the province, at the time of participation in the Provincial Neonatal Screening Program, shortly after birth.

Publications

PPNL has produced surveillance reports with maternal/newborn outcome indicators and system utilization for all areas of the province and has been co-authored on a number of local and national peer-reviewed publications. Publications cover topics on:

• maternal obesity, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, teenage pregnancy, infant feeding, delay newborn bath, gestational diabetes, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBACs), maternal cannabis use, severe maternal morbidity, stillbirths, simulation and skills retention, among others.

Where we are

Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre
2nd floor
300 Prince Philip Drive
St. John’s, NL
A1B 3V6

Our offices are located on the 2nd (main) floor in room 2J203.

• Follow the corridor to the right of the Janeway Gift Shop.
• We are directly across from the Janeway Café.

How to reach us

Telephone: 709-777-4656
Email: ppnl@easternhealth.ca