About ENTIS

ENTIS is a non-profit organisation representing healthcare professionals involved in teratology counselling and research, and an advocate for high quality patient care.

Approximately 80-90% of women who are pregnant, or planning pregnancy, use prescribed or over-the-counter medication. Concerns over the risks of the treatment to the pregnancy or the fetus are commonplace and inevitable. It is of vital importance that women can find trustworthy evidence-based information, accessible in their own native language to support decision making around medication use in pregnancy.

Teratology Information Services (TIS) are centers which consult on potential risks associated with medication exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding at an individual patient level. Many of these centers also work closely with national and international regulatory agencies to advocate for

TISs in Europe collaborate through ENTIS – (European Network of Teratology Information Services).

Mission

ENTIS is dedicated to preventing birth defects and developmental disorders caused by exposure to teratogens — drugs, chemicals, infections or radiological agents — that can interfere with normal fetal development.

The ENTIS mission is to co-ordinate and collaborate the activities of member TIS organizations across Europe, ensuring the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of data to support the primary prevention of congenital anomalies and developmental disorders. Many TISs also counsel on various exposure through breastfeeding.

ENTIS Core Objectives:

  • Risk Identification: Recognizing and detecting risk factors associated with teratogens
  • Counselling Services: Providing guidance to individuals exposed to potential teratogens during pregnancy, based on current scientific data. Providing information on exposure to medications through breastfeeding.
  • Public Health Contribution: Reducing the incidence of birth defects or developmental disorders through education and preventive measures.
  • Training and Education: Providing training to healthcare and allied professionals to enhance awareness and understanding of teratogenic risks and lactation exposure safety.
  • Research and Development: Performing research to enhance safety monitoring capabilities and improve risk communication capabilities.

History and Governance

ENTIS was founded in Milan in May 1990.
ENTIS is registered as a Foundation at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce- KVK 41184696.
ENTIS Bylaws are reviewed annually and subject to ratification by members of the ENTIS Board.

ENTIS Policies and Annual Reports:

Minutes from the most recent annual business meeting can be found here.