Community Corner

International Birth Defects Conference Comes to Imperial Beach, Coronado

Researchers and doctors who study the cause of birth defects will come to Coronado and Imperial Beach Friday for their conference.

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, or OTIS.

The conference will be held from June 24-28 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort.

Researchers and doctors attending the conference will primarily come from the United States 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, therefore the restaurant will be closed to the public Saturday after 4 p.m.

Gregg Lalka, owner of Jersey Boys Diner, said he's thrilled.

"Some of the most prominent researchers in the world will be visiting Imperial Beach for the first time and we're honored to have been chosen to help welcome them to our beautiful city," he said.

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.

Jones is the founder of California's OTIS branch and his research made him one of two doctors who first identified FASD in 1973.

OTIS is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control as a resource for medications in pregnancy information. Their work helps define standards for ways to test different medications and their impacts on infants as well as the impact of exposure to radiation, pesticides and things that can cause asthma or Attenion 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.

Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This is the first time the international conference has come to Imperial Beach and Coronado. The last time the conference was held in southern California was in 1998. Last year it was held in Louisville, Kentucky and before that in San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here