The Pregnancy Healthline
The Pregnancy Healthline is a free teratology information service
for South Jersey to answer questions pregnant women and their health
providers have about medication, chemical, infectious, physical and
drug exposures.
Most substances pregnant women face will not cause
birth defects, but some might if taken in large doses and at a crucial
time in pregnancy.
The Pregnancy Healthline is staffed by professionals.
A perinatal nurse coordinates the Healthline under the direction of an
expert board of health care providers.
The Pregnancy Healthline staff discusses each
reported exposure. If there is an increased risk for birth defects,
the counselor can talk with the caller about it.
The Pregnancy Healthline is caring, confidential
and non-judgmental.
How the Pregnancy Healthline Works
When a woman or a health care provider calls, the Pregnancy Healthline
Coordinator will ask about:
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amounts of all exposures to medication, chemicals, radiation or other substances |
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dates of exposures |
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the current health status of the pregnant woman |
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past pregnancies |
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health of other family members |
Everything is kept confidential. The average call takes about 20 minutes.
Pregnancy Healthline Frequently Asked Questions
The following information answers questions that are often raised about
common exposures during pregnancy.
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effects of alcohol |
Contacting the Pregnancy Healthline
The Pregnancy Healthline is the teratology service for the Southern New
Jersey area.
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In the Pennsauken, NJ area, call 856-665-6000. |
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From anywhere else in Southern New Jersey, call 1-888-722-2903. |
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From outside the SNJPC service
area, see the list of teratology services around
the U.S. and Canada. (This document is a 5kb pdf; you'll need Adobe's
Acrobat Reader to view it.) For more information, contact the Organization
of Teratology Information Services (OTIS) at 801-328-BABY (2229).
Pregnancy Healthline Staff:
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Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative
Comments or questions
URL: http://www.snjpc.org
Last modified: 12 June 2002