Adopted by the OTIS Board in June 2022

The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) opposes laws that prevent people from making informed reproductive choices, or that seek to prevent or criminalize healthcare professionals who inform patients of scientific knowledge or reproductive options. OTIS will continue to provide confidential, evidence-based, scientifically accurate and unbiased information about exposures before and during pregnancy that allows people who are pregnant or who could become pregnant to make informed reproductive choices.

Adopted by the OTIS Board in March 2022

The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and our friends and colleagues in Ukraine. We have proudly provided education and training on teratogens in Ukraine since 2003 and helped our Ukrainian colleagues to establish their own Teratology Information Service in 2017. We feel a great kinship to the many people our various members have worked with over the years and it is greatly distressing for us to see the current events unfold.

As a professional organization comprised of leading healthcare professionals in the area of teratology, or birth defects, we hope for the safety and health of pregnant and breastfeeding individuals and their children as they deal with the difficult situation in Ukraine and neighboring countries. We are concerned about the increased risk of harmful pregnancy exposures related to warfare, the negative psychological impacts of conflict, the interruption of access to maternal healthcare, and the effects these conditions may have on generations to come. We hope a healthy future is restored immediately for all who are impacted.

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.

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].