The Pregnancy Exposure Info Line

Health Care Providers

Breastfeeding Resources  •  Order Brochures/Fact Sheets

We are here to help you.

We recognize that the uncertainty surrounding the use of medications and other exposures during pregnancy can cause a great deal of anxiety and confusion for pregnant women, which is why they seek reliable sources of information from their providers like you.

We understand the demands placed on your time.

In today’s busy clinical setting, it is not always possible to conduct extensive literature searches for the latest information or to know which resources to trust in your pursuit of answers to the wide-ranging concerns raised by your patients and their families.

We can save you time and effort.

As members of the Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS), we strive to provide timely information about prenatal exposures in order to enable pregnant women and their families to be fully informed. Through our databases and network of consultants we can provide you accurate, current information to help advise your patients.

We go beyond the FDA categories.

The teratologicThe study of the causes and effects of congenital malformations and developmental abnormalities. information given in drug manuals is often limited and relies heavily on the FDA classification system.

• One of the many problems with the FDA system is that it does not provide a critical assessment of the data.
• Secondly, the categorization of agents implies a gradation of risk, which can be misleading (e.g. category C is better than D but worse than B).
• These FDA categories are often assigned based on the results of animal studies rather than actual human data.

We handle the common to the uncommon questions during pregnancy.

While the majority of the questions we receive are regarding the use of prescription and over-the-counter medications during pregnancy, we do address a wide-range of questions. Examples include herbal supplements, recreational drugs (e.g. cocaine, marijuana) and environmental exposures such as routine dentistry, microwaves, radiation, paints, pesticides and household cleaners.

We must stress that we do not make specific clinical recommendations for patient management.

We cannot recommend a medication or procedure. We can only provide you with the current data available and the risks it may pose. In more complex situations, we can refer you to the appropriate professional(s) for further assistance.

We are a confidential service provided Free of Charge.

We do require general information regarding the patient: Name, DOB, gravid status, and LMP. All pertinent information regarding the exposure: Name of agent, dosing, amounts, and duration. All the information we provide is available in writing for your review by request. When making referrals to our service, please explain that clients will need to provide their demographic information and pregnancy history. All information will be kept completely confidential. Your patients will not be added to a mailing list or have any contact with us that they do not initiate.