The Coalition to Advance Maternal Therapeutics (CAMT) was launched in 2014 with the goal of better understanding the safety and efficacy of prescription drugs, therapeutics, and vaccines used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Each year, nearly 4 million women in the United States give birth and more than 3 million breastfeed their infants. Nearly all of these women will take a medication or receive a vaccine. Yet, not enough is known about the effect of most drugs on a woman and her pregnancy, or the ways in which pregnancy may alter the uptake, metabolism, and effect of medication. Without reliable data, women who are pregnant or nursing may decide to stop taking necessary medications, increasing risk for both mother and child. In other cases, women may choose not to initiate breastfeeding or may wean earlier than desired because they lack information about the extent of drug transfer into human milk, the potential impacts of the drug on milk production, and the impact of exposure to the infant.
Recognizing this need, the CAMT and its member organizations are committed to raising awareness among policymakers and industry about the need to include pregnant and lactating women in clinical trials, where appropriate, to close our gaps in knowledge and ultimately improve the health of women and their families.
CAMT’s work has already made a difference. The Coalition successfully advocated for the creation of a federal task force (the Task Force on Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women, or PRGLAC) to identify and address gaps in knowledge regarding safe and effective therapies and vaccines for pregnant and lactating women.
The original founding members of the CAMT are the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the March of Dimes, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the Society for Women’s Health Research.
For questions about CAMT’s advocacy efforts to support enhanced research with pregnant and lactating women, contact Society for Women’s Health Research Chief Advocacy Officer Lindsey Horan.