RESTON, Va., June 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As scientists around the globe continue the race to develop a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19, the world's leading birth defects scientists present the latest research pertaining to the infection during pregnancy. The free webinar on June 11 from 12:30 pm–2 pm Eastern Daylight Time (US) kicks off the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention's (BDRP) Virtual Annual Meeting. The session is being co-hosted by MotherToBaby, a service of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS).
"COVID-19 and Pregnancy: What Do We Know and How Will We Learn More" webinar will be at no cost to the public, but registration is limited and required at the following link: https://onlinexperiences.com/Launch/QReg/ShowUUID=724B78E1-3D3A-45A1-B3C2-5CD140C3EB70 Interested parties may also view the event being livestreamed on Twitter (Follow @socbirthdefects and #BDRPCOVID for updates). "Healthcare providers, the scientific community at large, and pregnant women need answers surrounding the effects of COVID-19 during pregnancy," said webinar co-presenter Sonja Rasmussen, MD, MS, a BDRP Past President and former infectious disease expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Rasmussen now serves as a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Florida. "We'll look at the data on COVID-19 so far and examine how previous infectious disease outbreaks can guide public health decisions about coronavirus in pregnancy," she added.
"There are ways to expedite the process of learning more about COVID-19's effects on a pregnancy, which I'll address," said Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, Past BDRP President, current OTIS/MotherToBaby President, and professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego. Dr. Chambers heads one of the nation's first studies of COVID-19 during pregnancy and will present during the webinar alongside Dr. Rasmussen.
At a fraction of the cost of its traditional in-person Annual Meeting, the BDRP Virtual Annual Meeting will then continue June 25, 29 and 30, as well as July 1 and 2. The virtual presentations will cover other hot topics such as the latest birth defects research surrounding opioids, gene therapy, and obesity in pregnancy. For the full Virtual Annual Meeting schedule, including opportunities for Continuing Medical Education credits, please visit https://birthdefectsresearch.org/meetings/2020/.
For more information about the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, please visit www.BirthDefectsResearch.org.
SOURCE Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention
