title: Providing information regarding exposures in pregnancy: a survey of North American Teratology Information Services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Teratology Information Services (TIS) provide information on exposures during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Maintaining ongoing funding is a challenge. The purpose was to gather descriptive information on current TIS operations.
  
  
  METHODS
  All North American TIS (16 American, 2 Canadian) completed a detailed survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Service goal ranked as most important was correction of risk misperceptions. Inquiries were primarily for medications (mean 43.5%, S.D. 14.1), lactation exposures, and workplace exposures. Median employees per TIS: three (range 1-12.5). Two TIS only counsel health care professionals (HCPs). Main callers to remaining TIS were pregnant women (mean 46.8%, S.D. 22.8), physicians, and nurses. Calls per week varied (median 20, range 4-600). Median annual budget: US dollars 69,000 (range dollars 3000-335,000). Seventeen TIS collect patient data for research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This survey was the first to document TIS operations in North America and demonstrates a spectrum of clinical and research activities, and provides data for a future cost-benefit analysis of TIS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. rebecca.hancock@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: Wendy J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ungar
authors.forename: Adrienne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Einarson
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goodstadt
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004346:Drug Information Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D018600:Teratology