Adopted by the OTIS Board in March 2022
The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and our friends and colleagues in Ukraine. We have proudly provided education and training on teratogens in Ukraine since 2003 and helped our Ukrainian colleagues to establish their own Teratology Information Service in 2017. We feel a great kinship to the many people our various members have worked with over the years and it is greatly distressing for us to see the current events unfold.
As a professional organization comprised of leading healthcare professionals in the area of teratology, or birth defects, we hope for the safety and health of pregnant and breastfeeding individuals and their children as they deal with the difficult situation in Ukraine and neighboring countries. We are concerned about the increased risk of harmful pregnancy exposures related to warfare, the negative psychological impacts of conflict, the interruption of access to maternal healthcare, and the effects these conditions may have on generations to come. We hope a healthy future is restored immediately for all who are impacted.