The Silent Tragedies of Reproduction

I'm going to tell you some facts that will shock and alarm you.

Did you know that nearly FIFTY PERCENT of all pregnancies end in miscarriage?

It's true.  We don't realize it because they happen so early in the pregnancy that we usually mistake them for late menstrual periods.

Miscarriage is so common, in fact, that more than SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT of women will have at least one in their lives-- and often several.

Once a woman knows she's pregnant, she still has a FIFTEEN PERCENT of miscarrying, now with the added emotional and physical trauma of losing such a precious part of her.

And the number one cause of miscarriage is?

BIRTH DEFECTS.

What's that you say?  How can an unborn fetus have a birth defect?

It's the same process that results in a newborn child having a birth defect, except these intrauterine defects happen to be incompatible with life.

In the United States, there are approximately 4 million live births each year.  A full THREE PERCENT (120,000) of these babies are born with birth defects, many of whom will suffer from severe disfigurement, chronic illness, or mental retardation for the rest of their lives.  

Extrapolating these numbers to the world's population, that's somewhere around 88 MILLION miscarriages and 2 MILLION babies born alive with birth defects each year.

So what causes birth defects?  Errors in chromosome replication, alcohol and drugs, certain medications, infections...

But in SEVENTY PERCENT of living birth defect cases, the cause is still unknown.

Of these "unknown cause" birth defects, chemicals and environmental exposures are a suspected major factor.

Wshew.  Sorry if that was all very depressing.

The GOOD news is that some amazing people in this world have dedicated their lives to stopping birth defects.  To solving the mysteries that cause them, and developing avoidance strategies.  To caring for and counselling women who were exposed to various chemicals and drugs while they were expecting, either accidentally or by necessity.

These incredible, selfless people are called TERATOLOGISTS.

What is teratology?

Well, you probably know that toxicology is the study of the harmful effects of chemicals on the human body.

Teratology is a subgroup of toxicology.  It is the study of the harmful effects of chemicals on the developing fetus.

The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) is an umbrella group of several dozen Teratology Information Services ("TISes")-- small, independent, non-profit services, usually based out of major teaching institutions, that are always available to answer questions and counsel women on the risks of various chemical exposures during their pregnancies.

Their toll free phone number (866) 626-OTIS automatically directs you to the TIS closest to where you live, in case you want to come in for face-to-face advice.  

And the cost is usually either free, or extremely nominal.

In addition to this amazing service, OTIS organizes, monitors, and participates in dozens of ongoing research studies, looking at the causes of birth defects.  Evaluating the safety of medications, household chemicals, and ingredients we're exposed to every day.  We take them in through our lungs, our GI tracts, and even absorb them through our skin.

It's not glamourous or exciting work.

It's actually quite dull, repetitive, and cerebral.

Yet these unsung heroes march on, steadfast in their committments to the littlest of patients, who will someday-- perhaps-- become the fully functioning, healthy human spirit they have the potential to be.

The money funding this effort, however, has been dwindling.  

Surprise, surprise, but our "Compassionate Conservative" In Chief has somehow managed to let the coffers run almost dry, and the research is suffering.

Some money comes in from drug companies, but as you can guess it's earmarked for studies that focus on pet issues, while countless other important studies go underfunded, or not funded at all.

The people at OTIS are truly the best at what they do.  But what they aren't very good at is tooting their own horn, or asking for help.

That's where you come in.

If this issue bothers you... if you want to fight birth defects and ensure the healthy development of all babies born in the world... won't you please help by taking a few simple actions?

ONE, tell all your female friends who are of childbearing age about the information you learned in this diary, and point them to the OTIS website and toll free number (866) 626-OTIS as a valuable resource.

TWO, if you can, please DONATE A FEW DOLLARS to the OTIS organization, to help support their mission and their work.

THREE, if you happen to be pregnant, please consider volunteering with OTIS to be a "normal control" in one of their current research studies.  You won't have to take any medications or expose yourself to any chemicals-- you'll just need to fill out a survey, and ask your doctor to participate with a questionaiire about the progress of your pregnancy.  For information on volunteering, call toll free [phone].

Thank you for caring.