Managing Environmental Risks in Pregnancy

描述（由申请人提供）：环境有毒物质与不良出生结局的联系日益紧密，如低出生体重、早产、出生缺陷和发育迟缓。城市内部的人口面临不良出生结果的高风险，也更有可能暴露于环境毒物。医学研究所和国家环境教育和培训基金会建议将环境健康概念纳入各级医疗和护理教育。在拟议的SBIR项目中，维达健康传播公司将制作、评估和分发一个名为“管理怀孕期间的环境风险”的多媒体资料包。利用DVD和网络技术的成熟和具体优势，媒体节目将教授筛查、评估和减轻对发育中的胎儿构成风险的已知和可疑致畸剂和环境毒物的潜在暴露的健康优势。教育视觉媒体、网络和印刷资源包将包括（1）为生活在城市环境中的孕妇提供服务的产前保健提供者的培训方案，（2）为生活在城市环境中的孕妇提供教育方案，其中许多人识字率低和/或属于少数民族，以及（3）供提供者印刷和分发给患者的电子材料图书馆。在第一阶段，制作人将制定病人教育和临床培训课程，并制作媒体原型，然后由代表目标受众的焦点小组进行评估。评估人员将使用记录良好的定性技术来分析焦点小组数据。该项目将促进产前护理提供者的环境卫生培训，这些提供者为有可能接触可能伤害其发育中的胎儿的物质的妇女提供服务。它还将提供急需的教育，在适当的识字水平，为高危妇女的方式，他们可以减少胎儿暴露于环境危害。与公共卫生的相关性：我们刚刚开始认识到孕妇在城市环境中可能接触到的致畸物质的范围。鉴于胎儿的快速发育，特别是在怀孕的最初几个月，避免接触是目前减轻潜在危害的最有效方法。这项研究将有助于了解产前护理提供者如何对可能承受最大暴露风险的孕妇感兴趣，告知和激励她们，以便她们能够保护胎儿并提高生下健康，正常婴儿的机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Environmental toxicants are increasingly linked to adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth, birth defects and developmental delays. Inner-city populations are at high risk for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed to environmental toxicants. The Institute of Medicine and the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation recommend the integration of environmental health concepts into all levels of medical and nursing education. In the proposed SBIR project, Vida Health Communications, Inc. will produce, evaluate and distribute a multimedia package called "Managing Environmental Risks in Pregnancy". Drawing on the proven and specific advantages of DVD and web technologies, the media programs will teach about the health advantages of screening, assessing and mitigating potential exposure to known and suspected teratogens and environmental toxicants that pose a risk to the developing fetus. The package of educational visual media, web and print resources will consist of (1) training programs for prenatal health care providers who serve pregnant women who live in urban settings, (2) educational programs for pregnant women who live in urban settings, many of whom have low literacy and/or are of minority ethnicity, and (3) an electronic library of materials for providers to print and distribute to patients. In Phase I, the producers will develop both the patient education and clinical training curricula and produce prototypes of the media, which will then be evaluated using focus groups representative of the target audiences. Evaluators will use well-documented qualitative techniques to analyze focus group data. This project will advance the environmental health training of prenatal care providers serving women at risk for exposure to substances that can harm their developing fetus. It will also provide much needed education, at appropriate literacy levels, for at-risk women about ways that they can reduce fetal exposure to environmental hazards. Relevance to Public Health: We are just beginning to recognize the scope of teratogens that pregnant women may be exposed to living in urban environments. Given the rapid development of a fetus, especially in the early months of pregnancy, avoidance of exposure is at present the most effective way to mitigate potential harm. This research will contribute to knowledge of how prenatal care providers can interest, inform and motivate pregnant women who likely bear the greatest risk of exposure, so they can protect the fetus and improve the chance of giving birth to a healthy, normal infant.