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(Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Women who drink alcohol while they are pregnant risk giving birth six or more weeks prematurely. A new study reveals the effect is even more pronounced in women older than 30.
Researchers from Wayne State University in Detroit report part of the increase in the number of preterm births can be blamed on alcohol consumption. They studied 3,130 pregnant women before and after delivery.
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In the study, 66 of the newborns were born extremely prematurely, which is defined as 32 or fewer weeks of gestation. Researchers report alcohol, and cocaine to some extent, increased the risk of prematurity. The more alcohol a woman reported consuming, the more likely she was to be one of the women who delivered extremely premature. Study authors write they do not have a full explanation for why alcohol and cocaine use affected women older than 30 more than younger mothers. Mothers who did not drink or use drugs while pregnant had a 41 percent decreased chance of delivering extremely premature. Cigarette smoking was not linked to extreme prematurity.
Because 92 percent of the study population was black women, researchers report more study is needed on diverse population groups to truly say these findings would apply to the general population.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 2007;31:10311037
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