Medical Conference Comes to Coronado and IB

Starting Friday, researchers from around the world who study birth defects will come to Coronado and Imperial Beach for the 24th International Conference of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS).

The conference will be held from June 24-28 at .

Researchers and doctors attending the conference will primarily come from the U.S. and Canada, but also from Brazil, Israel, India and Australia.

Jersey Boys Diner on Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach will host the organization's opening reception; the restaurant will be closed to the public Saturday after 4 p.m.

Attendees will discuss new research on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), the ethics of including women in clinical trials and the impacts of environmental contaminants on babies, among other things, said Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones, a UCSD professor and the organization's incoming president.

OTIS is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control as a resource for medications and pregnancy. Their work helps define standards for ways to test medications and their effect on infants as well as the impact of exposure to radiation, pesticides and things that cause asthma or Attention Deficit Disorder or hyperactivity.

In California, people with questions related to medications and exposure to chemicals during pregnancy or while breastfeeding can call the CTIS Pregnancy Health Information line at 800-532-3749 to speak to a counselor.

Women outside California can call 866-626-6847.