With the launch of our new, mobile-friendly website in October 2020, we have decided to retire or “sunset” the MotherToBaby App for both iOS and Android. By February 28, 2021, the MotherToBaby App will no longer be available for download from Apple’s App Store or from the Google Play Store.

If you are a current MotherToBaby App User:

The app is no longer being supported or updated, so we highly recommend deleting it from all of your devices.

How Do I Prepare for the Change?

Bookmark our website, MotherToBaby.org, and add it to the home screen on your mobile device now! Everything you previously accessed on the app is now available on our mobile-friendly website.

Explore Our Website

Here are some quick links to our most popular content, which had previously been accessible from our app:

Fact Sheets: Access our library of fact sheets on 250+ exposures and how they may impact pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Pregnancy Studies: Get information on our observational pregnancy studies and forms that pregnant women can use to join a study or healthcare providers can use to refer patients to our studies.

Ask An Expert an Exposure Question: Reach out to a MotherToBaby specialist by phone, text, email, or chat to ask questions about an exposure during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Refer A Patient to our Information Service and/or Pregnancy Studies: Healthcare providers can use this form to refer their patients either to our pregnancy studies or one of our specialists for pregnancy/lactation exposure information.

Baby Blog: Access our library of blogs, which cover a wide variety of pregnancy and breastfeeding exposure topics written by our experts specifically for moms and moms-to-be.

Podcast: Tune in for lively discussions about managing exposure risks and staying healthy with our podcast host and MotherToBaby information specialist Chris Stallman.

Our Website Offers Enhanced Mobile Experiences

Our new website also provides overview pages for pregnant women with hand-selected resources on select exposure topics and offers healthcare providers custom-curated information that is specific to their field of practice. This means that all of our website users can now find relevant information while on-the-go!

The responsive design provide a seamless experience for website users to interact with our services and navigate our resources. We’ve also created an interactive map of MotherToBaby’s coverage to encourage users to find their local affiliate and connect with the team that is working to reduce the chance of preventable birth defects in our communities.

If you have any questions or would like help with information, please contact us at 866.626.6847 or click the Live Chat window in the bottom corner of your screen.

Access our free presentation for healthcare professionals on current issues from ADHD medications, the risks of vaping, and cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation. Filmed on August 25, 2020, a link to the recording can be found here.

The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), the professional society that provides the MotherToBaby service, has released the following statement on anti-racism:

In light of the horrifying recent events taking place in our country, which is only the latest in a long history of violence against Black men, women, and children, we think as an organization it is important to state that diversity, equality, inclusion, and respect are of the upmost importance to OTIS. As a scientific and service organization dedicated to providing evidence-based information to parents, health care professionals, and the general public about medications and other exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding, we know the importance a diverse membership, who bring to OTIS a myriad of experiences, has in strengthening our organization and equipping us to help those from all backgrounds. We are committed to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, mental or physical ability, age, gender identity or expressions, or sexual orientation are valued and welcome. There is no place for hatred, discrimination or injustice at OTIS or society as a whole.

Any form of systemic racism towards communities of color harm everyone and stain the claim that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are basic rights. It is our hope that we come together as an organization to demonstrate a powerful message of community, science, dignity, and respect.

We know pregnant women are concerned about the newly described coronavirus. MotherToBaby and the CDC are monitoring the situation and will educate people if there is new evidence about a danger from a coronavirus infection that would be specific to the unborn baby. You can find more information on your common questions about the coronavirus through our fact sheet at: https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/covid-19/. In the meantime, common strategies to avoid getting sick include thoroughly washing your hands and avoiding obviously ill people. Contact your healthcare provider if you feel ill and are concerned. If you develop a serious respiratory infection, it is much more likely to be Influenza (the flu) than coronavirus. We know that pregnant women have a harder time fighting off infections, like the flu, which can lead to complications for pregnant women and for babies. If you haven’t gotten your flu shot, do it now, for your own health and for the wellbeing of your baby. MotherToBaby has a fact sheet on the flu vaccine at: https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/seasonal-influenza-the-flu-pregnancy/. To keep up with travel notifications and other news on the new coronavirus, go the CDC Coronavirus page at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html [cdc.gov].

602 Pregnancies Examined by the Non-Profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists

LA JOLLA, CA –A new study conducted by birth defects experts from the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) suggests adalimumab use in pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk for adverse outcomes examined, such as major structural birth defects, spontaneous abortion and preterm delivery. The findings were published today in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) One Journal.

The prospective research study conducted by OTIS examined 602 pregnancies that occurred between 2004 – 2016 in women across the U.S. and Canada. Researchers enrolled pregnant women into the observational cohort study who had or had not taken adalimumab for their autoimmune disease, as well as generally healthy pregnant women for comparison. OTIS is the scientific non-profit society that provides the no-cost MotherToBaby information service and enrolls women through the MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies Research Center at the University of California San Diego. Financial support for the adalimumab study was provided by AbbVie.

“Many women hoping to start a family rely on adalimumab to control symptoms related to crippling autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn’s Disease,” said lead study author Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, OTIS/MotherToBaby president and professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. “The fact that this study showed no increased risk in adverse birth outcomes with the use of adalimumab in pregnancy is important since not a lot of research was previously available on this particular medication.”

The study also found that regardless of whether they took adalimumab or not, pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn’s Disease were at an increased risk of preterm birth (delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy).

“Studies on medication use in general are lacking when it comes to understanding their effects on pregnancy, making it difficult for pregnant women and their healthcare providers to make informed decisions,” said Dr. Chambers. “We are proud to add valuable information to the literature and encourage more pregnant women to consider volunteering for critical observational studies.”

For more information on all of the current MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies, please visit https://mothertobaby.org/pregnancy-studies/.

More about OTIS and MotherToBaby

The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) is a professional scientific society made up of individuals engaged in assessing and evaluating risks to pregnancy and breastfeeding from environmental exposures. Members include, but are not limited to, specialists in the fields of: obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, genetics, dysmorphology, perinatal epidemiology, teratology, behavioral teratology, pharmacy, genetic counseling, nursing, midwifery, maternal and child health, public health, and includes experts that provide MotherToBaby services and researchers that conduct MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies. MotherToBaby is a suggested resource by many federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To learn more about ongoing MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies, call (877) 311-8972, email MotherToBaby@ucsd.edu or visit www.MotherToBaby.org.

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Media Contact: Nicole Chavez, 619-368-3259, nchavez@MotherToBaby.org.