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BRENTWOOD, TN – With 1 in 33 U.S. babies affected by birth defects each year, MotherToBaby, in partnership with the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN), is kicking off National Birth Defects Awareness Month by unveiling a new digital pregnancy tool as well as a special podcast series that offers listeners continuing education credits.

MotherToBaby’s new and interactive critical periods of pregnancy tool aims to help pregnant people better understand the different stages of prenatal development and when exposures can impact different organ systems. By entering a last menstrual period (LMP) or estimated due date (EDD), as well as when an exposure (such as alcohol or medication use) took place, the user can see how far along they are in the pregnancy and visualize when important development events, such as the formation of the heart and lungs, are estimated to take place. Interactive popups on the chart provide more detailed definitions and information to effectively reach people of all health literacy backgrounds.

“The critical periods chart has been around for some time in the field of teratology,” shared project lead Kirstie Perrotta, MPH. “However, our team really wanted to add more detail and make the tool as interactive as possible.” When people have questions about an exposure in pregnancy, they can call MotherToBaby to receive a one-on-one assessment. This new tool is a nice complement to the personalized information service, allowing individuals to modify the chart with just a few clicks to reflect their specific dates. “The end goal was always to increase education on the topic of prenatal development,” added Perrotta. “With better information available to the public, individuals can make the best choices possible for their developing baby.”

Also, just in time for Birth Defects Awareness Month, The MotherToBaby Podcast announces a three-part series on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and FASD United. For the first time ever for The MotherToBaby Podcast listeners, they can earn continuing education credits if they listen to the three-episode series. “We know that exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects and FASD. Many people may be unfamiliar with how to recognize FASD, which often goes undiagnosed,” said Lorrie Harris-Sagaribay, MPH, MotherToBaby President. “We are thrilled to reach more healthcare providers and members of the public to educate them about FASD through our popular podcast platform.” Continuing education credit details are provided in the show notes of each episode. The MotherToBaby Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere podcasts are played.

To complement the FASD podcast series, a free Birth Defects Awareness Month webinar about FASD aimed at healthcare providers will take place on January 31, 2025 at 9a PT/12p ET. The webinar will be presented by Dr. Noemi Spinazzi of the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is a free webinar, but advanced registration is required at the following link:  https://momtobaby.org/FASDwebinar2025   

Every January during Birth Defects Awareness Month, MotherToBaby, in partnership with the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) and other health organizations, aims to raise awareness about birth defects, their effects on the community and prevention efforts. Please share the tools found in the NBDPN education and awareness packet that can be accessed online at https://nbdpn.org/national-birth-defects-awareness-month/.

More about MotherToBaby

MotherToBaby, a service of the non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), is dedicated to providing no-cost evidence-based information to pregnant and breastfeeding people, healthcare professionals, and the general public about medications and other exposures during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Talk directly to the experts behind the most up-to-date research by calling (866) 626-6847, texting (855) 999-3525, or via live chat and email on www.MotherToBaby.org. MotherToBaby is recommended by many agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

MotherToBaby is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $6,000,000 with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents of this release are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. To learn more about MotherToBaby and OTIS, please visit www.MotherToBaby.org. 

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

The air we breathe matters and often we do not have control over what is in it. For many, the Spring season brings beautiful flowers and a most welcome warming of temperatures, as well as spending more time outside. It also marks the explosion of pollen, which can irritate both those with allergies and people with asthma. Being outside to engage in outdoor activities also means we are exposed to any air pollution that may be present.

Pregnancy is a sensitive time for both the parent and the developing baby. Preventing issues related to allergies, asthma and air pollution is important for a few reasons. If you do have issues with asthma and it affects your breathing, the amount of oxygen in your blood can drop; this can create problems for baby as you are their source of oxygen while pregnant. The baby may have trouble growing as much as they should or may be born at a low birth weight. This can put the baby at higher risk for several health issues.

There has been increasing research on the possible effects of air pollution on pregnancies. Some studies suggest that higher amounts of pollution in the air are related to babies being born too small or too early. Air pollution also can make asthma symptoms worse. There are some ways to lower the amount of air pollution you are exposed to, and this may be even more important for those that live near highways or high traffic areas, or near landfills. Some clear ideas from the American Pregnancy Association include:

• Buying an air purifier to use in your home
• Checking the air quality before planning outdoor activities to see if it is dangerous for groups sensitive to air pollution or pollen. Simply visit this website and enter your zip code: https://www.airnow.gov/
• Choosing to spend more time indoors when air quality is low
• Buying some plants to have in your home that are known to improve air quality. Some common household plants known to help with this include Peace Lilies, Snake plants, Philodendrons, Spider plants, or Rubber Trees

Other important things to consider are checking in with your healthcare provider about any types of medications you may use to treat your asthma or allergies. Quitting your medications as soon as you become pregnant is often not the best choice for you or baby and managing your symptoms is important for the reasons discussed above. MotherToBaby has a landing page on asthma that includes resources: https://mothertobaby.org/pregnancy-breastfeeding-exposures/asthma/ and one about allergies: https://mothertobaby.org/pregnancy-breastfeeding-exposures/allergies/  These pages have links to fact sheets on many medications that are used to treat symptoms related to both topics. 

As you move through the Spring months into Summer, try to appreciate the seasons while also being aware of how air quality can affect your health. As the saying goes, when you are pregnant you are “breathing for two.” As a reminder, our fact sheets also have breastfeeding information near the bottom of them that you can check out. We also encourage you to remember air quality can affect young children as well – especially ones with asthma.  Finding a healthcare provider you and your family can see routinely to manage asthma related issues is important in order to avoid emergency room visits.

Take a deep breath and remember, whatever your concerns are, experts at MotherToBaby will do our best to give you useful information based on research, or to point you in the right direction if we are unable to help.

January 7, 2014 – Experts Call Mass Media Misrepresentation Of Recent Alcohol-Related Studies ‘Harmful’.

Brentwood, TN – “Children Of Mothers Who Drink Alcohol During Pregnancy ‘Better Behaved,’” and “Pour It Up Pregs,” coupled with images of smiling pregnant women sharing in a wine toast, are just some of the messages flooding news headlines in recent days following publicity of a study aimed at examining the behavioral outcomes of children whose mothers consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) experts call the vast majority of the media’s misinterpretation of the studies potentially “harmful.”

“It’s deeply concerning,” said Kenneth Lyons Jones, MD, who is president of MotherToBaby, a service of the international non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, and considered the world’s leading expert on FAS, as well as other areas of birth defects research. The research causing such concern among experts, like Jones, over misinterpretation, is a series of studies out of the University of Copenhagen. “The take-home message of this study should in no way be to encourage drinking in pregnancy as a means to better mental health for children.”

Janni Niclasen, a psychologist, surveyed approximately 37,000 Danish women who reported on drinking habits during pregnancy. The study results showed that women who drank as much as one glass of wine per week had children with better emotional and behavioral outcomes by age seven compared to children of mothers who claimed to not drink at all. However, the author also points out that mothers who reported drinking tended to be more educated and have other potentially healthier characteristics overall. In addition, the author points out that the timing of the alcohol exposure during the surveyed pregnancies, which can play an important role in how the fetus is affected, was ignored.

“Even the author points out the significant limitations of her study, the problem is how the findings are being interpreted in the mass media,” said Christina Chambers, PhD, MotherToBaby epidemiologist and professor of pediatrics at the UC San Diego. “The study does not show that drinking caused mothers to have children with fewer behavioral concerns — rather that mothers who reported drinking were very different from mothers who did not in multiple ways. These differences in family and home environment, along with the way that alcohol exposure and child health were measured, could easily mask any associations with low level alcohol.”

Chambers also points out how the study used a maternally reported measure of mental health in the children. “The children were not formally tested, so the measures of mental health might not be so objective,” she said. “For example, mothers who admitted to drinking more might have been less likely to report problems in their children.”

According to Jones and Chambers, the study only further illustrates the ongoing conclusion that a “safe” amount of alcohol that any individual woman can drink during pregnancy has simply not been established.

Julie Pollock, vice president of the Southern CA chapter of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) couldn’t agree more. “When I read the way this study was being reported in the media, I wanted to scream,” she said. Pollock’s son, whose birth mother drank alcohol during pregnancy, was found mentally incompetent to stand trial after he was accused of killing his friend when he was just 10 years old. “Don’t buy into the hype. Those of us who live the reality of drinking while pregnant know the truth.  There is no safe amount of alcohol to an unborn child.  Please don’t look for an excuse to continue a behavior that is wrong.”

MotherToBaby is a one-stop-shop for evidence-based free counseling available to women and the general public. All North Americans can be connected with MotherToBaby experts and receive individualized risk assessments regarding alcohol, medications and other exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding through the toll-free, bilingual (English/Spanish) counseling service (866) 626-6847 or online at MotherToBaby.org.

Media Contact: Nicole Chavez, 858-246-1745, nchavez@mothertobaby.org. Interviews in Spanish can also be arranged.

Managing ADHD during pregnancy can feel overwhelming—especially when juggling appointments, medications, mood changes, and everyday life. In this episode of The MotherToBaby Podcast, genetic counselor and teratogen information specialist Chris Stallman, CGC sits down with returning guest Dr. Christy Pratt, a pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, for an in-depth, practical conversation about ADHD in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Together, they discuss:

• How ADHD symptoms can shift during pregnancy
• What to consider when deciding whether to continue stimulant or non-stimulant medications
• How co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression affect treatment decisions
• Why risk–benefit conversations are essential—and individualized
• Non-medication strategies and organization tools that actually help
• How healthcare providers can better support pregnant patients with ADHD
• What Dr. Pratt wishes more people understood about ADHD as a real, physiological condition
• Dr. Pratt also shares insights from her innovative program at Kaiser Permanente, where newly pregnant patients receive personalized risk–benefit consultations about their medications.
• Whether you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy, supporting someone with ADHD, or working in maternal-child health, this episode offers validation, clarity, and evidence-based guidance—always centered on achieving the best outcomes for both parent and baby.

Key takeaway: “We need a healthy mama to grow a healthy baby.” —Dr. Christy Pratt

For more evidence-based information about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding, visit MotherToBaby.org.

MotherToBaby Connects Public with Health Experts through Unique New Website, Live Chat

BRENTWOOD, TN – As January’s National Birth Defects Prevention Month continues to be recognized around the country, MotherToBaby, a service of the international non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), launches new digital ways for expectant moms and health care providers to get free expert information about the risks of medications and other exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding – through instantaneous, private live chat on www.MotherToBaby.org.

The digital initiative comes just a few short months after the service launched a first-of-its-kind texting component where the public can receive free expert answers by texting questions to 855-999-3525. “It’s our experience that all moms-to-be want the best information possible in order to have a healthy baby,” said Kenneth Lyons Jones, MD, MotherToBaby Past-President and world-renowned pediatrician at UC San Diego. “No matter what their income level or socio-economic situation, we feel every woman should have access to the best, expert health information possible. We’re making it easy for them to accomplish this through our new digital services.”

Expectant moms, as well as those who are breastfeeding, will simply need to visit www.MotherToBaby.org on their computer or phone to be connected to a bilingual (English/Spanish) specialist in the field of teratology – the study of exposures that cause birth defects. The newly-revamped website includes options to chat live through private, instant messaging or to email-an-expert. The MotherToBaby website also houses a library of free downloadable fact sheets in both English and Spanish on a variety of exposures. The digital counseling components complement the services’ traditional, phone counseling service (available toll-free at 866-626-6847) which has been available for more than 30 years.

Dr. Jones, a health care provider himself, expects this new way of delivering evidence-based information about the risks of exposures like medications, vaccines, chemicals, environmental agents and diseases, will also be convenient for his busy colleagues who see patients. “Oftentimes, a health care provider may only have a few minutes in-between patient appointments to get the latest teratogen information they need quickly. This will be a great option for them as well,” he said.

Sonia Alvarado, a bilingual teratogen information specialist who’s been based at MotherToBaby’s California affiliate for more than a decade, is leading the online live chat initiative. “The risk to the developing baby from exposures like medications during a mom’s pregnancy can vary greatly depending on timing of the exposure, mom’s metabolism and much more,” she said. “To be able to provide her with information tailored to her personal circumstance allows her to make informed decisions along with the guidance of her doctor. To be able to empower her with that kind of knowledge is extremely rewarding.”

About MotherToBaby
MotherToBaby, which consists of 14 services housed at universities, hospitals and government institutions across the country, provides free, evidence-based, personalized risk assessments, education and counseling regarding the effects of exposures like prescription and over-the-counter drugs, alcohol, smoking, illicit substances, vaccines, beauty products, herbal supplements, chemicals and more during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

More than 100,000 women and their health care providers seek information about birth defects prevention from MotherToBaby every year. MotherToBaby has been able to launch new outreach efforts to reach underserved populations, including new communication technologies, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

About National Birth Defects Prevention Month
Roughly 120,000 babies are affected by birth defects each year in the United States, according to the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN). The NBDPN established the nationally-recognized Birth Defects Prevention Month in order to raise public awareness of the problem that can sometimes lead to lifelong challenges and disability. To learn more about the NBDPN, visit www.nbdpn.org.

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Media Contact: Nicole Chavez, 619-368-3259, nchavez@MotherToBaby.org. Interviews in Spanish can also be arranged.