The MotherToBaby Podcast

Is my medication still ok to take if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding? What about marijuana? Is it ok? These are questions Chris Stallman, a mom just like you, hears every day through her work as a genetic counselor and teratogen information specialist, which is a fancy way of saying she's an expert in anything a woman might come in contact with and its known risks during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. She's part of a non-profit service called MotherToBaby and in The MotherToBaby Podcast, she’ll answer your burning questions about what’s ok and what’s not during pregnancy and breastfeeding. No judgment. No topics are off-limits. Subscribe to The MotherToBaby Podcast and learn more at www.MotherToBaby.org.

Pregnancy, Rheumatoid Arthritis & Resilience 05/06/2026

How Birth Defect Surveillance Protects Moms & Babies: From Zika to Opioid Exposure 04/07/2026

How Birth Defect Surveillance Protects Moms & Babies: From Zika to Opioid Exposure How do public health experts detect emerging risks to pregnancies before they become widespread crises? In this episode of The MotherToBaby Podcast, host Chris Stallman, genetic counselor, mom of four, and teratogen information specialist, sits down with Dr. Amanda Elmore, Assistant Professor of Maternal & Child Health at the University of South Florida, to explore the powerful role of birth defect surveillance. Dr. Elmore shares how her career in public health began during the Zika virus epidemic—reviewing medical records of exposed infants to help the CDC understand the real-world impact of in-utero exposure. She explains how surveillance systems track structural and functional birth anomalies, serve as early warning systems for new and emerging exposures, and shape everything from clinical care and referral services to national public health policy. The conversation also dives into: How surveillance led to rapid public health responses during the Zika crisis What neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) reveals about opioid exposure during pregnancy The push for real-time data using electronic medical records and health information exchanges How machine learning and natural language processing may transform how cases are identified Why a life-course perspective matters for children born with birth defects How surveillance data supports funding, prevention efforts, and long-term family services Dr. Elmore also shares her vision for the future: a more standardized, timely, and integrated national system that can better support prevention, research, and lifelong care for affected children and families. This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how data quietly powers some of the most important protections for moms and babies. 💡 Have questions about exposures during pregnancy or breastfeeding? You can contact MotherToBaby for free, confidential, evidence-based information: 📞 Call: 866-626-6847 📱 Text: 855-999-3525 💻 Visit: /episode/index/show/mothertobabypodcast/id/40748755

The Fourth Trimester: Medications, Beauty Products & Breastfeeding After Birth 03/25/2026

The Fourth Trimester: Medications, Beauty Products & Breastfeeding After Birth The weeks after delivery (often called the fourth trimester) can raise just as many questions as pregnancy itself. From pain management and supplements to beauty treatments and mental health medications, many parents are unsure how different exposures may affect breastfeeding. In this episode of The MotherToBaby Podcast, host Chris Stallman, MS, CGC, is joined by Kirstie Perrotta, MPH, and Angela Messer, MS, Teratogen Information Specialists from MotherToBaby California, to discuss some of the most common postpartum questions they receive from parents and healthcare providers. Together, they explain how exposure information is evaluated during breastfeeding and how factors like dose, timing, and route of exposure influence what may reach breast milk. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: -What the fourth trimester is and why exposure questions continue after delivery -Common postpartum concerns, including pain medications, stool softeners, and laxatives -How prescription pain medications, including opioids, are evaluated during breastfeeding -Why route of exposure matters when considering topical products -What to know about hair dye, Botox, manicures, facials, and salon treatments -Why supplements, herbal products, and proprietary blends raise additional questions -Which over-the-counter medications are often discussed in the breastfeeding period -How medication guidance can differ between pregnancy and lactation -Why addressing postpartum mental health conditions is essential -Common breastfeeding myths and misconceptions -Practical tips to reduce direct infant contact with topical products Key Takeaways: -Many medications have data available for use during breastfeeding -Topical products are typically evaluated based on how they are applied and absorbed -High-dose supplements and proprietary blends often lack breastfeeding data -Postpartum pain, mental health, and chronic conditions deserve appropriate treatment -Feeding decisions are personal, and there is no single approach that works for everyone Resources Mentioned: - – evidence-based fact sheets, Baby Blogs, podcasts, and educational resources -Over in English and Spanish on medications, exposures, and health conditions -One-on-one support via - – helping expand knowledge about medications, conditions, and exposures in pregnancy and lactation /episode/index/show/mothertobabypodcast/id/40610600

Coffee, Sushi, Medicine and More in Pregnancy 03/11/2026

From Strep to RHD: A Mother’s Story and a Community’s Fight 02/25/2026

Sorting Fact from Fiction: Finding Reliable Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Information Online 02/10/2026

Epilepsy, Pregnancy, and Advocacy: Dr. Kristi McIntosh’s Story of Science and Strength 01/29/2026

ADHD in Pregnancy: Medication Decisions, Daily Functioning & Finding Support 01/21/2026

Understanding REMS & Medication Safety in Pregnancy: What Patients & Providers Need to Know 01/15/2026

Folic Acid Facts & Fiction: What Every Parent Should Know – with Dr. Elisabeth Marnik (@ScienceWhizLiz) 01/05/2026

Folic Acid Facts & Fiction: What Every Parent Should Know – with Dr. Elisabeth Marnik (@ScienceWhizLiz) In this special Folic Acid Awareness Week episode of The MotherToBaby Podcast, host and genetic counselor Chris Stallman sits down with Dr. Elisabeth Marnik, PhD—a biomedical scientist, mom, and science communicator better known as @ScienceWhizLiz on Instagram. Together, they unpack the science behind folic acid, its critical role in early pregnancy, and why it's one of the most important (yet misunderstood) nutrients for people of childbearing age. From real talk on neural tube defect prevention to busting social media myths like “folic acid causes tongue ties” or “MTHFR mutations mean folic acid isn’t safe,” this episode is packed with science-backed insights and practical guidance for both healthcare providers and future parents alike. 🧠 Key Topics Covered: What folic acid is and why it matters for pregnancy The difference between folic acid and folate When folic acid is most critical (hint: before you know you're pregnant!) Myths and misinformation about folic acid—especially on social media What the research really says about MTHFR gene mutations How to support patients with dietary restrictions or supplement concerns Why more folic acid is not always better 👩‍⚕️ Guest Bio: Dr. Elisabeth Marnik is a biomedical scientist with a PhD from Tufts University and The Jackson Laboratory, where she studied immune system function, autoimmune disease, and vaccine response. She’s also a passionate science communicator who makes complex topics clear and relatable for thousands of followers as . 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Learn more about folic acid: Contact a MotherToBaby specialist (free & confidential): Call: 866-626-6847 Text: 855-999-3525 Chat: Follow Dr. Marnik: 💬 Have a Question or Topic Idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at . 📱 Subscribe & Listen On: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Audible | iHeartRadio | Or wherever you get your podcasts 💛 Support Our Work: Help us keep this podcast free and accessible. Join our monthly giving community, Encircle, to support parents and families with trusted pregnancy and breastfeeding information. Learn more at /episode/index/show/mothertobabypodcast/id/37720950

Radiation & Breastfeeding: Understanding the Risks and Realities 06/03/2025

GLP-1 Medications & Pregnancy: What We Know So Far 04/23/2025

Living with FASD 01/23/2025

Living with FASD In this episode, Jenn Wisdahl, Chief Operating Officer at the non-profit FASD United, and Laura Bousquet, a mother to a young adult son diagnosed with FASD in his teens, join host Chris Stallman, CGC to discuss challenges many families with lived FASD experience face. Wisdahl leads FASD United's legislative and policy agenda and trains members of the FASD community to serve as advocates. She was also an executive producer on the award-winning short film “The FASD Project,” and is a proud parent to 3 young adults with FASD. Bousquet is a passionate FASD advocate and active FASD United Board member whose own FASD diagnosis at age 57 deepened her dedication to inspiring positive change in the FASD community. BONUS: Earn continuing education credits for listening to our series. Scroll down to learn more. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: FASD Family Navigator - FASD United Resource Directory - FASD United Glimpses of FASD - FASD United Give FASD a Seat at the Table - FASD United FASD State Data Sheets - FASD United Video Series: Lived Experiences with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders - CDC MotherToBaby: FASD Podcast - Living with FASDs - January 23, 2025 (Podcast) - PD4929-012325 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This podcast series is intended to reach various audiences, including healthcare professionals, who can use the information presented to inform their practice and their interaction with clients/patients. The podcast episodes will educate participants on 1) the discovery, prevalence, and newest research on the topic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), 2) CDC’s work in addressing prenatal alcohol and other substance use and FASDs, and 3) the experiences of people living with FASDs. OBJECTIVES: After completing this course, the learner will be able to: 1. Describe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). 2. Describe the National Center of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities’ (NCBDDD) approach to addressing FASDs. 3. Describe the impact on people who are living with FASDs. 4. Describe how interprofessional collaboration addresses FASDs. 5. Describe how interprofessional teams can help people living with FASDs transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. FACULTY/ CREDENTIALS: Laura Bousquet, Family Navigator/Self-Advocate, FASD United Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Elizabeth Dang, MPH, Behavioral Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Nicholas Deputy, PhD, MPH, Health Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Kenneth Jones, MD, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Chris Stallman, MLS, MS, CGC, Director, MotherToBaby Arizona, University of Arizona Jennifer Wisdahl, Chief Operating Officer, FASD United CE ORIGINATION DATE: CE EXPIRATION DATE: January 23, 2025 January 23, 2027 URL INTENDED AUDIENCE: Advanced Practice Nurses, Certified Health Educators, Medical Assistants, Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses, Physicians, Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses, and Social Workers PREREQUISITES: Learners will have a basic understanding of what fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are. FORMAT: This activity is Web on Demand CONTACT INFORMATION: CDC’s CE Accreditation Team has a policy for grievances that is available upon request. Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders cdcinfo@cdc.gov ACCREDITATION STATEMENTS: In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MotherToBaby. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team CME: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. CNE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this activity for 0.5 nursing contact hours. CEU: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is authorized by IACET to offer 0.1 CEU's for this program. CECH: Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 0.5 total Category I continuing education contact hours. Maximum advanced level continuing education contact hours available are 0. Continuing Competency credits available are 0.5. CDC provider number 98614. DISCLOSURE: In compliance with continuing education requirements, all planners and presenters must disclose all financial relationships, in any amount, with ineligible companies during the previous 24 months as well as any use of unlabeled product(s) or products under investigational use. CDC, our planners, and content experts wish to disclose they have no financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Content will not include any discussion of the unlabeled use of a product or a product under investigational use. CDC did not accept financial or in-kind support from ineligible companies for this continuing education activity. Instructions for Obtaining Continuing Education (CE) To receive continuing education (CE) for MotherToBaby: FASD Podcast - Living with FASDs - January 23, 2025 (Podcast) - PD4929-012325, please visit and search for the course in the Course Catalog using PD4929-012325 Follow the steps below by January 23, 2027. Register for and complete the course. Pass the post-assessment at 75 %. Complete the evaluation. Visit Your Learning to access your certificates and transcript. FEES: No fees are charged for CDC’s CE activities. ________________________________________________________________________________ /episode/index/show/mothertobabypodcast/id/34556150

Public Health Efforts on FASD 01/16/2025

Public Health Efforts on FASD In the second episode of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) special series, we explore the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work addressing FASD and how scientific findings are helping shape prevention efforts. BONUS: Earn continuing education credits for listening. Scroll down to learn more. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: _________________________________________________________ MotherToBaby: FASD Podcast - CDC's Work Addressing Prenatal Alcohol and Other Substance Use and FASDs - January 16, 2025 (Podcast) - PD4929-011625 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This podcast series is intended to reach various audiences, including healthcare professionals, who can use the information presented to inform their practice and their interaction with clients/patients. The podcast episodes will educate participants on 1) the discovery, prevalence, and newest research on the topic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), 2) CDC’s work in addressing prenatal alcohol and other substance use and FASDs, and 3) the experiences of people living with FASDs. OBJECTIVES: After completing this course, the learner will be able to: 1. Describe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). 2. Describe the National Center of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities’ (NCBDDD) approach to addressing FASDs. 3. Describe the impact on people who are living with FASDs. 4. Describe how interprofessional collaboration addresses FASDs. 5. Describe how interprofessional teams can help people living with FASDs transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. FACULTY/ CREDENTIALS: Laura Bousquet, Family Navigator/Self-Advocate, FASD United Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Elizabeth Dang, MPH, Behavioral Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Nicholas Deputy, PhD, MPH, Health Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Kenneth Jones, MD, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Chris Stallman, MLS, MS, CGC, Director, MotherToBaby Arizona, University of Arizona Jennifer Wisdahl, Chief Operating Officer, FASD United CE ORIGINATION DATE: CE EXPIRATION DATE: January 16, 2025 January 16, 2027 URL INTENDED AUDIENCE: Advanced Practice Nurses, Certified Health Educators, Medical Assistants, Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses, Physicians, Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses, and Social Workers PREREQUISITES: Learners will have a basic understanding of what fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are. FORMAT: This activity is Web on Demand CONTACT INFORMATION: CDC’s CE Accreditation Team has a policy for grievances that is available upon request. Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders cdcinfo@cdc.gov ACCREDITATION STATEMENTS: In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MotherToBaby. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team CME: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. CNE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this activity for 0.5 nursing contact hours. CEU: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is authorized by IACET to offer 0.1 CEU's for this program. CECH: Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 0.5 total Category I continuing education contact hours. Maximum advanced level continuing education contact hours available are 0. Continuing Competency credits available are 0.5. CDC provider number 98614. DISCLOSURE: In compliance with continuing education requirements, all planners and presenters must disclose all financial relationships, in any amount, with ineligible companies during the previous 24 months as well as any use of unlabeled product(s) or products under investigational use. CDC, our planners, and content experts wish to disclose they have no financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Content will not include any discussion of the unlabeled use of a product or a product under investigational use. CDC did not accept financial or in-kind support from ineligible companies for this continuing education activity. Instructions for Obtaining Continuing Education (CE) To receive continuing education (CE) for MotherToBaby: FASD Podcast - CDC's Work Addressing Prenatal Alcohol and Other Substance Use and FASDs - January 16, 2025 (Podcast) - PD4929-011625, please visit and search for the course in the Course Catalog using PD4929-011625 Follow the steps below by January 16, 2027. Register for and complete the course. Pass the post-assessment at 75 %. Complete the evaluation. Visit Your Learning to access your certificates and transcript. FEES: No fees are charged for CDC’s CE activities. _________________________________________________________ /episode/index/show/mothertobabypodcast/id/34555790

FASD Discovery and Prevalence 01/09/2025

FASD Discovery and Prevalence In this episode, Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones, one of the pioneers who first identified Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in the United States in 1973, and Dr. Christina Chambers, a renowned epidemiologist who has conducted groundbreaking research on the prevalence of FASD, join host Chris Stallman, CGC, to discuss the discovery of FASD, its common physical and cognitive traits, and its prevalence today. BONUS: Earn continuing education credits for listening to our entire FASD 3-part series. Scroll down to learn more. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ MotherToBaby: FASD Podcast SCPD4929 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This podcast series is intended to reach various audiences, including healthcare professionals, who can use the information presented to inform their practice and their interaction with clients/patients. The podcast episodes will educate participants on 1) the discovery, prevalence, and newest research on the topic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), 2) CDC’s work in addressing prenatal alcohol and other substance use and FASDs, and 3) the experiences of people living with FASDs. OBJECTIVES: After completing this course, the learner will be able to: 1. Describe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). 2. Describe the National Center of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities’ (NCBDDD) approach to addressing FASDs. 3. Describe the impact on people who are living with FASDs. 4. Describe how interprofessional collaboration addresses FASDs. 5. Describe how interprofessional teams can help people living with FASDs transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. FACULTY/ CREDENTIALS: Laura Bousquet, Family Navigator/Self-Advocate, FASD United Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Elizabeth Dang, MPH, Behavioral Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Nicholas Deputy, PhD, MPH, Health Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Kenneth Jones, MD, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Chris Stallman, MLS, MS, CGC, Director, MotherToBaby Arizona, University of Arizona Jennifer Wisdahl, Chief Operating Officer, FASD United CE ORIGINATION DATE: CE EXPIRATION DATE: January 9, 2025 January 9, 2027 URL INTENDED AUDIENCE: Advanced Practice Nurses, Certified Health Educators, Medical Assistants, Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses, Physicians, Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses, and Social Workers PREREQUISITES: Learners will have a basic understanding of what fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are. FORMAT: This activity is Web on Demand CONTACT INFORMATION: CDC’s CE Accreditation Team has a policy for grievances that is available upon request. Division of Birth Defects and Infant Disorders ACCREDITATION STATEMENTS: In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and MotherToBaby. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team CME: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. CNE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this activity for 0.5 nursing contact hours. CEU: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is authorized by IACET to offer 0.1 CEU's for this program. CECH: Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 0.5 total Category I continuing education contact hours. Maximum advanced level continuing education contact hours available are 0. Continuing Competency credits available are 0.5. CDC provider number 98614. DISCLOSURE: In compliance with continuing education requirements, all planners and presenters must disclose all financial relationships, in any amount, with ineligible companies during the previous 24 months as well as any use of unlabeled product(s) or products under investigational use. CDC, our planners, and content experts wish to disclose they have no financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies with the exception of Dr. Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH and she wishes to disclose she receives research funding from Amgen, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Inc., Regeneron, Hoffman La-Roche-Genentech, Genzyme Sanofi-Aventis, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, USA, Leo Pharma, Sun Pharma Global FZE, Gilead, Novartis, and the Gerber Foundation. All relevant financial relationships listed for this individual have been mitigated. Content will not include any discussion of the unlabeled use of a product or a product under investigational use. CDC did not accept financial or in-kind support from ineligible companies for this continuing education activity. Instructions for Obtaining Continuing Education (CE) To receive continuing education (CE) for SCPD4929 – MotherToBaby: FASD Podcast, please visit and search for the course in the Course Catalog using SCPD4929 Follow the steps below by January 9, 2027. Register for and complete the course. Pass the post-assessment at 75 %. Complete the evaluation. Visit Your Learning to access your certificates and transcript. FEES: No fees are charged for CDC’s CE activities. ______________________________________________________________________ /episode/index/show/mothertobabypodcast/id/34539895

Influencers, Self-Advocacy and Studies 11/22/2024

Busting Vaccination in Pregnancy Myths 11/01/2024

RSV, COVID-19, Flu and Tdap Vaccination in Pregnancy 10/17/2024

Ask A Midwife 10/07/2024

Radiation and Its Effects on Pregnancy 09/16/2024

Radiation and Its Effects on Pregnancy Dr. Emily Caffrey, a certified health physicist with the Health Physics Society, joins host Christ Stallman, CGC to talk about different types of radiation and their potential effects on a pregnancy. Links Mentioned in This Episode: Ep. 76 Transcript You're listening to the MotherToBaby podcast, medications and more during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Ask the experts with your host, genetic counselor and mom of four, Chris Stallman. This episode contains evidence based information that's current as of the day recorded and may change as more data becomes available. To get the very latest information about this topic or other topics in pregnancy and breastfeeding, please contact a mother to baby specialist at 866 626 6847 by text at 855 999 3525 or through our website at mothertobaby.org. Welcome to another episode of the mother to baby podcast. My name is Chris Stallman, and I'm a genetic counselor, a mom of four, and a teratogen information specialist. So what that means is that I talk to people, so patients, family members, healthcare providers, the general public, about exposures that can happen before pregnancy, during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and in cases of adoption. Thank you And an exposure can be anything. So it could be a medication you take. It could be a vaccine. It could be a hair treatment. And in some cases it could be in the place where you work. Today we're going to talk about a very specific exposure, radiation. And we have a very special guest to talk with us today. Dr. Emily Caffrey is the program director and an assistant professor for the master's in health physics program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is also a certified health physicist that specializes in calculating radiation doses from environmental sources of radiation. Dr. Caffrey, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. Excited to be here. Great. So let's get started today. We're going to talk about radiation. Can you tell us a little bit about what radiation is and how people are exposed to it? Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, radiation is just a form of energy. So there's two types of radiation. There's non ionizing radiation and ionizing radiation. So non ionizing radiation are lights, microwaves, your cell phone emits non ionizing radiation, things like that. There's also ionizing radiation, and that type of radiation is a little bit higher energy, um, that makes charged particles. Um, and that's the kind of radiation you get when you're talking about a CT scan or an x ray, something like that. Um, that's ionizing radiation. Uh, and I, and I just want to point out that radiation is all around us. It was present when life first evolved on Earth. It was present when dinosaurs lived. It's still present today. Uh, we live in a radioactive world, and I think a lot of people don't know that. So I'd like to start with, radiation's all around you, and it has been your whole life. Um, natural radiation comes from space, and it comes from living things that are in the Earth. The Earth's crust is radioactive. You may, if you live in a place that has high radon, um, you may have heard of radon coming from Earth up into your basement. That's a really common source of exposure. Um, and our human bodies and cells have adapted over time to respond to and repair the small amounts of damage you might get from these low levels of ionizing radiation. So some of the more common forms of radiation, like you described, light, microwaves, CTs, would that also include mammograms and would that increase risks to a pregnancy? Yeah, that doesn't include mammograms. The mammogram is again a low energy type of x ray that's used to image the breast tissue to look for cancer usually. Um, and You know, just like all other types of, of diagnostic imaging procedures, and I think we'll talk a little bit more about this as we get into it, um, you really aren't at risk when you have a low, a low, a diagnostic imaging procedure, those are very low doses, your, your pregnancy is not at risk, the unborn child, not at risk from those types of exposures. And I'm really glad that we can talk about that and hear about that again, because it is the kind of thing, you know, if. certainly if you need it in pregnancy, it's a good idea to get your cancer screenings. Absolutely. Dr. Caffrey, can you tell us a little bit about the Health Physics Society? Yeah. And I like to tell people like health physics is a profession you've never heard of, but the health physics society is the professional society for health, which are radiation protection professionals. So we are the profession that is devoted to the safe use of radiation. Um, so anywhere radiation is used, whether that's a hospital, a nuclear power plant, um, the government and military installations, um, there's gonna be a health physicist, a radiation safety officer, someone there making sure that the people and the environment are safe from that ionizing radiation. So you may not see us, but we are there making sure that we're following regulations and keeping people safe. When you mentioned earlier that radiation comes from space, I got to say, I love hearing that. I think that that's such a cool and exciting thing. So let's talk about cosmic ionizing radiation. So what is that specifically? And does that increase risks to a pregnancy? Yeah, it's space is always fun, right? And we're talking about sending astronauts to Mars and things, right? Radiation. So, you know, one component of your natural radiation dose that you get just by living here on Earth is from outer space, and that's called cosmic radiation. Um, so particles and electromagnetic magnetic waves from outer space, um, come and hit and impact Earth. So you may have heard of solar flares and things like that. And the sun flings off all these charged particles. So those come and hit Earth. Now, Earth is actually pretty well protected. We have this magnetic field that's around Earth that deflects a lot of those particles. Think of it as like a shield around Earth. And then our atmosphere, like a literal atmosphere above us, also protects us from a lot of that radiation, but not all of it. So some of that radiation is going to come in and actually get into Earth, like where you and I are sitting here right now. Um, and, and, and, There's more at the north and south poles and as you go higher in elevation because at the north and south pole the magnetic field that protects us is weaker and at higher altitudes you're just physically closer to the radiation coming from space. So if you're, um, your background radiation dose, if you're at the North Pole or if you're standing on top of a 14 year in Colorado is going to be higher than me sitting here in my office in Huntsville, Alabama, which is basically at sea level, right? So it's just a small difference, but it does change a little bit. Um, but you know, cosmic radiation contributes Um, about 5 percent of our average total background dose. So that's a very low, low number. You and I just living on Earth, which is radioactive, get about 3 millisieverts per year. And a millisievert is just a unit of radiation, uh, dose that we, that we use to count, you know, when we're talking about radiation doses, that's just a number we, a unit that we use. Um, so you and I get about 3 millisieverts per year, and about 5 percent of that 3 millisieverts is from cosmic space radiation. Um, and I, and I want to add to that background radiation doses are too low to increase your risk of pregnancy or cause any harm to your unborn child. We are not worried about background radiation doses or doses that are lower, um, in, in than, especially not background, but lower than three is definitely not a concern. And we'll talk a little bit more about what levels you might want to start thinking about, about, you know, where, at what levels you might want to be concerned, but definitely not at background levels. Great. Okay. So thinking about space occupation, what's out there? What about radiation exposure for someone who's working as a flight attendant? I got to tell you, I got this question for the very first time, maybe six or seven years ago. And until then, it never even occurred to me. I was like, yeah, of course, there's radiation in the atmosphere. So I'm going to stop talking and let you give us this answer. Yeah, and I'm really glad you asked that question because we hear this concern a lot, both from flight attendants, pregnant women that travel for work a lot, uh, pilots, right? We hear this question a lot. And I think people, uh, I certainly didn't before I got into this field, didn't think about flight attendants being, uh, people that are exposed to COVID. More than average, right? Um, but when you fly up high, especially people that fly transcontinental flights that go over those poles where you have a higher radiation dose, they get a higher radiation dose in the background. They actually, in some cases, get higher radiation doses than workers at nuclear power plants, but higher does not mean there's a problem. So let's back up for just a second. Um, so the amount of exposure that you get from flying is significantly lower than, um, The exposure needed to cause any harmful effects to your, to your unborn child or to you, the pregnant, pregnant person, rightly, that we're not concerned. Um, and just to give you some context, right, we talked about 3 millisieverts as our background radiation dose. Um, the radiation dose needed to cause harmful effects is roughly, and again, there's a lot of research on this that's ongoing all the time as we improve our models, but we're talking roughly 100 millisieverts. Um, and again, millisieverts just being a unit of radiation dose, so 3. Is your background radiation dose, and 100 is what we're talking about for harmful effects. Um, and then to talk a little bit more specifically about flight, so how much radiation do you get in a flight? Well, your radiation exposure during a commercial flight is about 0. 01 millisieverts per hour of flying time. So to get to 100 then right? That means you need if you do some quick division. That means you need about 10, 000 hours during your pregnancy to reach the amount of radiation that might be harmful. I don't think anyone is even flight attendants, right? You're not flying in 10, 000 hours. You really aren't quite safe from as a as a flight attendant or a pilot or even just someone that travels a lot while you're pregnant. That's it's not of concern. Excellent. And I'm so glad that you mentioned, you know, it could be higher than 100. wherever we start out. But that alone doesn't necessarily mean that there is a problem. We have to have more information. We have to have all the pieces and that's so important for all exposures. But again, certainly for one like this, where you may not have known or you may not have remembered, it's like, oh, there's radiation all around us. Oh, wait, it also depends on how much we're being exposed to. Now, for my favorite thing to ask all of the guests on the show, when I get the opportunity, what is the most interesting question about radiation and pregnancy that you or the Health Physics Society has received? Yeah. And I'm, and again, this is a great question. We get hundreds of questions from pregnant women and thousands of questions from the general public. Yeah. Um, and you know, it's kind of, I didn't pick something like when I was thinking about this, I didn't pick something light hearted because this, this particular question that I'm going to throw is one that has stuck with me and it's the one I that just reminds me of why talking to people and using my knowledge to explain why things are okay or not okay or what you need to be concerned about and what you shouldn't be concerned about is so important. Um, and so about, about a year ago, we had a woman right in, um, an Italian woman and she had had a diagnostic x ray of her pelvis before she knew she was pregnant. And her, her gynecologist told her the pregnancy was probably more risky because of the x ray. And she specifically asked us if she should terminate her pregnancy. And under Italian law, you know, that was very time sensitive because she only had a week to make such a like, insanely impactful life decision. Um, and so I was so glad that she found us because I just want to be really clear here. The answer to that question is absolutely not. A diagnostic x ray, even to the pelvis, um, is not going to cause any harm to your unborn child. And just the relief that we were able to provide, um, that, that soon to be first time mom was just like overwhelming. She wrote back to us, um, several times over the course of, you over the course of her pregnancy just to check in and she told us she sent us an email saying that her son was born happy and healthy and she was just so grateful and so relieved because she didn't know right and and so being able to offer that service and being able to help people understand and make massive decisions is just really amazing. Uh, it gives me the warmth, like, that is amazing. I am not only so glad that the society exists and that folks like yourself are out there giving this information. I'm so glad they found you. I'm so glad that, you know, it seemed like a good outcome for them. That's wonderful and so important. And it is one of those things where, you know, you don't know what you don't know. The good news is in a lot of cases, there are people, um, again, like you and the health physics society that are out there assisting with some of this information that isn't as commonly available. So thank you so much. What a great story. So Emily, if someone has a question specific for the health physics society, so radiation. Or even, you know, concerns in the pre pregnancy or after pregnancy planning stage. How did they get to your organization to find this information? Yeah, thanks for asking that. Um, so you can find us at hps. org, hps. org. That's the website of the Health Physics Society. And you'll see a little Ask the Experts button. And you just click that button and you'll see our webpage. Um, there's a webpage specifically for pregnancy and radiation. And on that web page are a couple of videos that the Health Society has produced. There are fact sheets about radiation and pregnancy. There are Q& A's from, uh, not only some, some basic Q& A's that we have written, but also, um, some stories that other people have, other questions that people have written in with. We, we anonymize them, of course, and we post some of those to our website. And we cover everything from, um, background radiation, to pregnancy and flying, to what if I need a medical procedure, to I'm a lactating mom that's breastfeeding, you know, and I have to have this nuclear medicine procedure, you know, if, am I okay, what should I do? Um, I think the medical industry does a good job of providing information, but I think people sometimes still want, you're still overwhelmed, right? When you, you have a child and you are doing something in the medical realm, like those are two very overwhelming things. In and of themselves. And so when you have another question that didn't get answered, please reach out to us and we're always happy to help. That's awesome. And we are going to put information for the Health Physics Society in the show notes. Something else, um, that I was just thinking of, I, you know, talk to people all day. That's my job. But if I forget to ask my doctor or healthcare provider something, or if I'm traveling or busy, I might not always have the opportunity to connect with them, and I will say that sometimes I turn to Google. So it's great to know where they can find this information. Providers are wonderful. They give good information. Sometimes I do not have it in me to wait 30 minutes on the phone. You know, life is busy. So it's great to know that we can find this information online as well. Dr. Caffrey, before I let you go for this episode, um, cause I would love to have you come back and talk more about radiation. Is there a final thought that you would like to leave our audience with? Yeah, I think, you know, I think the thing I want to emphasize is that radiation can be scary. You can't see it. You can't feel it. You don't know it's there. Like anything you can't see and you don't know is there. Can be scary, but I just I want to emphasize that our bodies evolved in this radioactive world. They have repair mechanisms for low doses. And we know from population studies from epidemiological studies. That the amount of radiation used in these diagnostic procedures, so x ray scans, mammograms. Um, even to the pelvis area are just not are way too small to cause harm to your unborn child. So you don't need to worry about those types of procedures. You know, and if you are concerned or you had a specific procedure or you had a nuclear medicine procedure, you know, those are things that experts can talk to you about and counsel you through, um, to make sure that you're getting up to date information. And it's so important to remember to ask those questions because diagnostic procedures can prevent a lot of issues that are harmful to your baby, right? And, or could be harmful to your, to your unborn child and, or yourself, right? As the pregnant woman, like, um, There are actual harms that can be done by not having a CT scan when it's clinically indicated, and the radiation dose should, should be something that you think about, um, and, and be aware of and educated about, but it should not stop you from getting a diagnostic procedure that could potentially save your life or your unborn child's life. So radiation's scary, but we, um, myself, the Health Physics Society, and all of my topic editors and experts are here to help. Hps. org or through the mother's baby website, there are links, um, and you can find us online and we are, please reach out. We are happy to help. Absolutely. And thank you. Thank you for the reminder that, you know, these procedures, MRIs, CTs, and so forth are not done lightly. They are done because someone needs it, especially during pregnancy and you, you probably do need it. So please feel free to contact. The health physics society or mother to baby with any questions that you have. Dr. Caffrey, it was my pleasure to speak with you today. Thank you so much for being on the show, giving us all this great information, and we hope to have you back in the future. Thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure. And that's going to do it for this episode of the mother to baby podcast. Be sure to hit that subscribe button. So that way you never miss a new episode and you can go back and listen or relisten to some of those older episodes as well. You can find us on iTunes, Spotify, Audible, or however you like to listen to podcasts. And if you want to be on the podcast, or if you have an idea for the show, we would love to hear from you. Please feel free to email us at contactusatmothertobaby. org. And Mother 2 Baby is here to answer your questions about exposures before and during pregnancy while breastfeeding, or if you have questions about exposures and adoption, you can reach us by phone at 866 626 6847. Buy text at 855 999 3525. 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