Investigation of Teratogenic Concerns in the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 Era

BACKGROUND: MotherToBaby (MTB) is a teratogen information service that provides information about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding to the public and healthcare providers. During the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, MTB received an influx of queries regarding the teratogenicity of the virus and the vaccine. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and type of exposures asked about prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic through March 2022 and to evaluate the demographics of individuals who made inquiries. METHODS: Data from MTB contacts (2018-2022) were accessed through a data-sharing agreement. The data were cleaned and standardized by coding all exposures into 11 established categories before linking demographic and exposure files into a single dataset. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression conducted in Excel and STATA 17.0, with statistical significance set at a 0.01% error rate. RESULTS: The total number of contacts increased from 2019 to 2022, and the exposure category with the highest number of contacts was prescription medications, followed by COVID-19-related exposures. Peaks in the number of contacts relating to COVID-19 correlate with various pandemic milestones, such as when vaccines were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CONCLUSION: These data provide valuable information for healthcare providers and agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to better prepare for future pandemics and epidemics.