Marijuana linked to premature births

Wednesday, 18 July 2012 00:04
Women who use marijuana before pregnancy double their risk of giving birth prematurely, a new study shows.

The University of Adelaide study surveyed 3000 Australian and New Zealand women to determine the risk factors for pre-term births.Although previous studies have linked marijuana use during pregnancy to premature labour, the current study found smoking the drug in the three months before conception was also a risk factor, co-author Professor Claire Roberts says.