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. 2019 Feb;39(2):286-294.
doi: 10.1038/s41372-018-0299-0. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Risk of preterm and early term birth by maternal drug use

Rebecca J Baer  1   2 , Christina D Chambers  3 , Kelli K Ryckman  4 , Scott P Oltman  5   6 , Larry Rand  5   7 , Laura L Jelliffe-Pawlowski  5   6
Affiliations

Risk of preterm and early term birth by maternal drug use

Rebecca J Baer et al. J Perinatol. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: Examine the risk of preterm birth (PTB, < 37 weeks) and early term birth (37-38 weeks) for women with reported drug abuse/dependence.

Study design: The population was drawn from singleton livebirths in California from 2007 to 2012. Drug abuse/dependence was determined from maternal diagnostic codes (opioid, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, other, or polysubstance). Relative risks, adjusted for maternal factors were calculated for PTB and early term birth.

Result: Of the 2,890,555 women in the sample, 1.7% (n = 48,133) had a diagnostic code for drug abuse/dependence. The percentage of PTBs varied from 11.6% (cannabis) to 24.3% (cocaine), compared with 6.7% of women without reported drug abuse/dependence.

Conclusion: Women with reported drug abuse/dependence during pregnancy were at increased risk of having a PTB and all but those using cannabis were at risk of having an early term birth. Women using cocaine and polysubstance were at the highest risk of birth < 32 weeks.

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