MotherToBaby Utah

Free, confidential, and accurate information for pregnant and breastfeeding people and health care providers.

Free.
Confidential.
Accurate.

We answer questions in English and Spanish and have interpretation services in more than 150 languages if you need it.

Your questions are confidential. We don't share our conversations with law enforcement or your doctor.

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Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed on state and federal holidays

MotherToBaby Utah provides free, confidential, and accurate information for anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or thinking about getting pregnant or having a baby. We also answer questions healthcare providers may have.

Most healthcare providers aren’t experts in teratology (the study of birth defects from exposures to different things). We have experts to answer questions about how different things may cause problems during pregnancy or harm your baby. Call us if you have questions about:

  • Alcohol
  • Beauty products and cosmetics
  • Cannabis or marijuana
  • Chemicals and cleaning products
  • Deli meats
  • Drugs
  • Essential oils
  • Exercise and recreational sports
  • Fillers or Botox
  • Health problems or conditions
  • Medications
  • Painting your nursery
  • Pets
  • Smoking or vaping
  • Supplements, vitamins, and herbals
  • Vaccines
  • Zika
  • And more…
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No amount of alcohol is safe when pregnant.

Avoid any alcohol if you’re pregnant or think you’re pregnant. All drinks with alcohol can harm an unborn baby. Alcohol during pregnancy causes disorders that never go away. Alcohol can cause problems in all trimesters of your pregnancy. It’s never too late to stop drinking. The sooner you stop, the healthier your baby will be.

Who will I talk to when I call or text?

You will talk to medical experts who know how different exposures (medications, chemicals, diseases, vaccines, cosmetics, etc.) may affect your baby during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. We have been helping women, families, and healthcare providers since 1984.

Our staff review research studies and the latest science on teratology on how to help prevent birth defects, developmental delays, and other problems during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

We train healthcare providers about exposures in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Healthcare providers will decide which medications might work best for a certain health condition and MotherToBaby Utah can explain their effects on your baby.

John C. Carey MD, MPH.

John C. Carey
MD, MPH


Dr. Carey is a pediatrician with the University of Utah Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Carey is an expert in genetics and dysmorphology (the study of birth defects) including work with diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Dr. Carey started MotherToBaby Utah in 1984 and continues to be its medical director. He is a prolific researcher and has more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals on the environmental and genetic causes of birth defects.
Alfred Romeo RN, PhD, and Teratogen Information Specialist

Alfred Romeo RN, PhD                   Teratogen Information Specialist


Nurse Al's background is in newborn intensive care nursing, health education, and public health. He is the President for the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. He has been with MotherToBaby Utah for more than 13 years. You can usually see Nurse Al on the Baby Your Baby segment on the KUTV2 News at noon on the third Friday of every month.
Cristina Gonzalez Teratogen Information Specialist

Cristina González 
Teratogen Information Specialist


Cristina is bilingual and provides information in Spanish. She has experience as a nutritionist and breastfeeding educator working with Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Cristina is a contributor to our MothertoBaby blog. Read the blog by Cristina Gonzalez about facts and myths after birth opens in a new tab.

Baby Your Baby- Risks of Alcohol Use During Pregnancy Interview. Opens in a new window.
Baby Your Baby- Risks of Alcohol Use During Pregnancy