Non-Profit’s Expertise Recognized as Leading Resource on Exposures during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

September 21, 2022

BRENTWOOD, TN – The non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) through its public-facing service, MotherToBaby, are now contributors to the prestigious National Library of Medicine (NLM) where more than 250 of its bilingual (English/Spanish) evidence-based fact sheets can be found on medications, vaccines, diseases, herbal supplements, occupational exposures and more during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

MotherToBaby provides information on exposures before and during a pregnancy as well as breastfeeding traditionally through its no-cost helpline 866-626-6847, texting service 855-999-3525 and website www.MotherToBaby.org, where the public can live chat or e-mail an expert. “This is just one more way we can ensure pregnant people and healthcare providers can have access to reliable, up-to-date, research-based information so they can make better informed decisions during the child-bearing journey or in cases of adoption,” said Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, MotherToBaby Past President and UC San Diego professor of pediatrics. “Being a part of the NLM is a testament to the reliability of our resources. We are honored to be contributors.”

For more than 200 years, “the National Library of Medicine has been a partner for biological discovery, clinical care decision-making and healthcare choices in everyday living,” according to its website. The NLM includes health information tools and biomedical literature, such as PubMed. The MotherToBaby Fact Sheets through the NLM can be accessed through public and hospital libraries as well as in schools and clinics. It’s also available at the following link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK582980/  

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). 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, nchavez@mothertobaby.org, 619-368-3259

‘Best for You. Best for Baby.’ Focus of National Birth Defects Prevention Month 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2019

BRENTWOOD, TN – “A baby is born with a birth defect in the United States every 4 ½ minutes. We can change that alarming statistic,” said Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, President of MotherToBaby, a free service of the non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS). MotherToBaby is joining with leading prenatal health experts from the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, the March of Dimes, and the Teratology Society this month to increase awareness of 5 critical tips to reduce the chances of having a baby with a birth defect.

The National Birth Defects Prevention Month campaign theme, “Best for You. Best for Baby.” aims to raise awareness of preventable birth defects. “Furthermore, we want to emphasize the importance of pregnancy registries, which often lead to the discovery of even more ways to prevent birth defects,” explained Dr. Chambers, who also serves as professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego. MotherToBaby will join the Teratology Society and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in co-hosting a free two-part webinar series for healthcare providers on the importance of pregnancy exposure research, its challenges and the new Task Force on Research Specific to Pregnant and Lactating Women (PRGLAC) report. The webinar series will take place Thursday January 17th at 1pm-1:30 ET and Tuesday January 29th at 12pm-12:30p ET and will be free to join, but advanced registration is required at the following links:

• Current and Future Trends in Research with Pregnant and Lactating Women (Part 1): http://bit.ly/PregResearch1
• Using Registries and Crowdsourcing to Conduct Research with Pregnant and Lactating Women (Part 2):
  http://bit.ly/PregResearch2

MotherToBaby provides free evidence-based information to mothers, health care professionals, and the general public about medications and other exposures during pregnancy and while breastfeeding through its helpline (866) 626-6847, texting service (855) 999-3525, or via live chat and email on www.MotherToBaby.org. MotherToBaby also has a free app available for iOS and Android devices. MotherToBaby is recommended by many agencies, including the CDC.

MotherToBaby encourages the public to follow these steps to increase chances of a having a healthy baby:

1. Be sure to take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.
   • Folic acid is very important because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine.
2. Book a visit with your healthcare provider before stopping or starting any medicine.
   • There are often benefits to continuing treatment throughout pregnancy. Discussing a treatment plan before a pregnancy allows a woman and her health care provider to weigh the pros and cons of all options to keep mom and baby as healthy as possible.
3. Become up-to-date with all vaccines, including the flu shot.
   • Having the right vaccinations, like the flu and Tdap vaccines, at the right time during pregnancy can help keep a woman and her baby healthy.
4. Before you get pregnant, try to reach a healthy weight.
   • Obesity increases the risk for several serious birth defects and other pregnancy complications.
5. Boost your health by avoiding harmful substances during pregnancy, such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
   • There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy and its exposure can cause major birth defects.
   • Smoking during pregnancy can cause dangerous chemicals to damage the placenta and/or reach baby’s bloodstream.
   • The opioid addiction epidemic has led to a sharp increase in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), premature birth and drug withdrawal in developing babies.

“Birth defects are a common cause of death in the first year of a baby’s life, but change happens through awareness,” added Jason L. Salemi, PhD, MPH, NBDPN President. “We’re thrilled MotherToBaby is doing its part to positively change the outcome for babies across North America.”

How You Can Help

MotherToBaby encourages health advocates as well as the general public to be active participants in National Birth Defects Prevention Month. Follow and share #Best4YouBest4Baby messages on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. In addition, the complete 2019 NBDPN Birth Defects Prevention Month information packet, including this year’s primary tips for birth defects prevention, “Best for You. Best for Baby. 5 Tips for Preventing Birth Defects,” is available online at: https://www.nbdpn.org/bdpm.php. All materials can be printed, electronically conveyed, or added to websites for distribution as needed.

Additional Resources to Support Healthy Pregnancies

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) strives to advance the health and well-being of our nation’s most vulnerable populations.
www.CDC.gov/ncbddd

American Academy of Pediatrics
Dedicated to the health of all children, providing age-specific health information.
www.healthychildren.org

The Teratology Society
An international and multidisciplinary group of scientists including researchers, clinicians, epidemiologists, and public health professionals from academia, government and industry who study birth defects, reproduction, and disorders of developmental origin.
www.Teratology.org

March of Dimes
An organization aiming to make sure babies get the strongest start possible as well as reducing the rate of prematurity.
www.marchofdimes.org

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Media Contact: Nicole Chavez, 619-368-3259, nchavez@MotherToBaby.org. Interviews in Spanish are also available.

ATLANTA, GA– A new free service, providing expert answers about medications and other exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding, is giving expectant moms in Georgia another reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving.

Emory University School of Medicine announces MotherToBaby Georgia, a free statewide counseling service that connects experts in the field of birth defects research with expectant moms, health care providers, and the general public. All it takes is a simple phone call to a toll-free number, 866-626-6847. MotherToBaby GA is funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

MotherToBaby GA is an affiliate of the international non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), a prestigious professional society that supports and contributes to worldwide initiatives for education and birth defects research. MotherToBaby affiliates and OTIS are suggested resources by many agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dedicated to providing evidence-based information.

“Reliable information about the risks of medications, vaccines, alcohol, drugs of abuse, chemicals, and other exposures during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, is often difficult to find, especially online. We wanted to be sure that pregnant women and health care providers knew that experts on the most cutting edge research were readily available to them,” explained Claire Coles, PhD, director of MotherToBaby GA, which is housed at the Center forMaternal Substance Abuse and Child Development Center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory School of Medicine.

Dr. Coles further explains the need for this sort of counseling since approximately 50% of women report taking at least one medication during pregnancy.  “The average woman doesn’t find out she’s pregnant until she’s five or six weeks along.  That means a woman could have been consuming alcohol or taking medications during that time without knowing she’s pregnant. She then finds herself deeply concerned about what it might mean for her developing baby.”

Surveys indicate that while the majority of callers are pregnant women, most have been referred by physicians, nurses, midwives and pharmacists.

“What is passed from mother to baby is exactly what we educate the public about, which is why we strongly believe MotherToBaby GA will provide a beneficial service in our state,” said Patricia Olney, MS, board certified genetic counselor and pregnancy risk information specialist. Olney answers calls from around the state and provides counseling over the phone. “We offer an added layer of support by providing her with an individualized risk assessment so she may make informed health decisions along with her primary health care provider,” she added.

For more information about MotherToBaby GA please visit: www.MotherToBaby.org or www.emory.edu/msacd.

For counseling, call toll-FREE 866-626-6847 from throughout North America. In Georgia, you can also call  855-789-6222, or email: mothertobaby@emory.edu.

Media Contact: Patricia Olney, MS, CGC at 855-789-6222 or mothertobaby@emory.edu.

Help Us Improve the Health of Families

Your participation in MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies will help us advance our understanding of pregnancy health and a baby’s development and how they may be impacted by a person’s health condition, medications they take, or vaccines they receive. Our studies are observational, which means you will never be asked to take any medications or vaccines or change any part of your health routine.

Submit your interest if you are a resident of the United States, the U.S. territories, or Canada and our research team will contact you to see if you qualify.

MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies are not currently enrolling participants outside of the United States or Canada. Contact our team if you have any questions.

This Medication Safety Tips sheet, from MotherToBaby and the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, highlights ways to avoid medication mistakes, such as accidentally taking a family member’s or pet’s medications or taking more pills than needed. Guidance on the use of supplements in pregnancy and lactation is also provided.

Key tips include safe storage of medications, setting reminders and checklists, and consulting healthcare providers about which medications and supplements can be taken during pregnancy or breastfeeding — especially since herbal products and dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the same way that medications are. Following these medication safety tips can help reduce medication errors and improve overall health and safety.

If you have questions about specific medications or supplements during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, please contact MotherToBaby to discuss benefits and risks.