Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A hot line to help pregnant women figure out what drugs to avoid to prevent birth defects isn't shutting down -- at least not for now.
Lawmakers voted to eliminate about $37,000 in state funding for the Pregnancy Risk Line for the rest of this fiscal year, meaning the program also would lose federal money. The reductions were likely to force the hot line to shut down.
But George Delavan, director of a state health department division overseeing the risk line, says other federal funding will keep it afloat.
The 25-year-old risk line educates about 20,000 people a year. Women most often call about cough and cold medicines, antidepressants and herbal supplements after being referred by doctors or nurses.
------
Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
