TUCSON TO HOST WORLD-RENOWNED BIRTH DEFECTS EXPERTS THIS WEEK; FIRST GATHERING FOR ‘MOTHERTOBABY’ SERVICES

Researchers Educate The Public About Medications & More During Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Tucson, AZ – The non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), a prestigious professional society comprised of international leaders in the field of birth defects research, and representatives from the services it provides through the new MotherToBaby counseling phone line will gather at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort June 22 - 26 to share several ground-breaking study results.

“Internationally-recognized speakers at this conference will provide cutting-edge research on everything from multivitamin and alcohol consumption’s impact on pregnancy, to how pregnancy studies are conducted,” explained Kenneth Lyons Jones, MD, the current president of OTIS who was the first researcher to identify Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in 1973. “This is also the first time representatives from the service we provide will meet under our new MotherToBaby name.”

MotherToBaby and OTIS, which are suggested resources by many agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are dedicated to providing evidence-based information to mothers, health care professionals, and the general public about medications and other exposures during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. All North Americans can be connected with MotherToBaby experts toll-FREE via its phone counseling service (866) 626-6847 or online at MotherToBaby.org. OTIS unveiled the new name for its service, MotherToBaby, last month.

MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies conducted by OTIS is currently recruiting pregnant volunteers in an effort to provide even more information about certain exposures and diseases during pregnancy. Jones explains the need for this sort of research since approximately half of all women report taking at least one medication during pregnancy. “The studies are observational which means a volunteer is never asked to take medications or stop taking her prescribed ones,” explained Jones. “She just answers a few questions over the course of her pregnancy from time to time . The information gathered not only helps her take an extra step to gain better information about the health of her baby, but also helps future moms-to-be,” he added.

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

MotherToBaby affiliates support and contribute to worldwide initiatives for teratology education and research. To learn more about MotherToBaby and OTIS, the group’s on-going studies, and the benefits of volunteering for a study, please visit www.MotherToBaby.org.

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