Motherisk

Motherisk

Motherisk was a clinical, research, and teaching program at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1985 to provide evidence-based information and guidance to pregnant and breastfeeding women about the safety of medications, environmental exposures, and other factors that could affect fetal and child development.

History

The Motherisk program was founded by Dr. Gideon Koren, a pediatrician and clinical pharmacologist. The program aimed to fill a gap in knowledge and support for pregnant women who needed reliable information about the risks associated with various substances during pregnancy and lactation.

Over the years, Motherisk became a trusted resource for healthcare professionals and the public, offering a helpline, educational materials, and conducting research on teratogenic risks.

Controversies

In the 2010s, Motherisk became embroiled in controversy due to its hair analysis testing program. The program's hair tests were used in child protection cases to assess parental substance use. However, the reliability and accuracy of these tests were called into question, leading to a review by the Ontario government.

In 2015, a report by Justice Susan Lang found that the hair testing was "inadequate and unreliable" for use in child protection and criminal cases. This led to the closure of the Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory and significant legal and social repercussions.

Closure

Following the controversies and the findings of the Lang report, the Motherisk program was officially closed in 2015. The closure marked the end of a program that had provided valuable services but had also faced significant challenges and criticisms.

Related pages

• Hospital for Sick Children
• Gideon Koren
• Teratology
• Child protection