Contact Information: CONTACT: Audrey Doherty/Jordan Cole (619) 236-8397
CTIS Issues Spring Asthma and Allergy Season Alert for Pregnant Women and Breastfeeding Moms
Experts Announce That Management of Asthma and Allergies Can Benefit Mom and Baby
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - May 1, 2009) - Expectant moms are urged to seek treatment
for asthma and allergies according to the medical staff and advisory board
of the San Diego-based California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS).
CTIS is a non-profit founded and directed by faculty and staff from the
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and serving the
entire state of California.
Released in conjunction with the start of Asthma and Allergy Awareness
Month, the alert is targeted to women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or
considering becoming pregnant and who suffer from asthma or allergies. This
important information can promote a safe pregnancy and delivery, and a
healthy baby.
Asthma affects almost seven percent of pregnant women and has become the
most common potentially serious medical problem to complicate pregnancy.
And, braving the outdoors can also be challenging for expectant moms who
suffer from seasonal allergies, which are at their peak from April through
October.
With spring in full swing, the good news is that asthma and allergies can
be managed with medication, and when they are, the benefits have been found
to outweigh the risks of potential side effects.
In fact, women should be encouraged to seek treatment for asthma and
allergies according to Dr. Michael Schatz, Chief of the Allergy Department
at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Diego and lead author of new
management recommendations published in the current issue of the New
England Journal of Medicine. The 12-year study directed by Dr. Schatz
involved more than 1,900 pregnant women in San Diego.
"Control of asthma during pregnancy has been shown to minimize the risk to
mom and baby," said Dr. Michael Schatz, a member of the CTIS Scientific
Advisory Board. "For the latest and most comprehensive information on the
issue, women and healthcare professionals should contact the team at CTIS.
The breadth of knowledge and resource is unmatched in California."
The medical staff monitoring the CTIS Pregnancy Risk Information Line at
1-800-532-3749 is prepared to answer questions from expectant moms and
clinicians who care for asthmatic women and those with allergies. Fact
sheets on common asthma and allergy medications are also available at
www.ctispregnancy.org.
"As we observe Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month from May 1-31, there is
no better time to reach out to moms-to-be and get this important
information in their hands," said Dr. Ken Lyons Jones, medical director of
CTIS, faculty member in the department of pediatrics at UC San Diego School
of Medicine and a world-renowned research physician, noted for his
pioneering work on fetal alcohol syndrome. "While the use of any asthma or
allergy medication needs to be discussed with your doctor, the latest
research findings are encouraging."
Continued Dr. Lyons Jones, "Women who properly control and treat asthma and
allergies, including regular visits with their doctor to evaluate and
monitor symptoms and medication, can help promote a healthy pregnancy and
baby."
Founded 27 years ago and housed at the University of California, San Diego
School of Medicine, CTIS offers a free Pregnancy Risk Information Line at
1-800-532-3749 that fields questions (in both English and Spanish) about
exposure concerns and where to find medical advice and referral resources
to pregnant and breastfeeding women and their families.
Recently, CTIS launched a new web site (www.ctispregnancy.org) that
provides links to the most current information about potentially harmful
exposures -- from illnesses to environmental toxins and hazardous
occupational materials -- before, during and after pregnancy. It also can
lead women and their families and health care providers to other
knowledgeable resources and teratology professionals that specialize in
birth defects caused by exposures during pregnancy.
For more information about CTIS, its scientific advisory board or its free
telephone and online services, call 1-800-532-3749 or log onto
www.ctispregnancy.org.