Women who vape are more likely to have low-birthweight babies, study shows

Women who use electronic cigarettes during pregnancy are 33% more likely than those who don ’t to give birth to low-birthweight infants, according to a new study by a team of researchers from UCLA and other institutions.Low-birthweight babies — those weighing less than 5.5 pounds — often require specialized medical care and are at greater risk of early-life complications and long-lasting health issues, saidAnnette Regan,the study ’s corresponding authorand an adjunct assistant professor of epidemiology at theUCLA Fielding School of Public Health.Findings from the study, which also involved researchers from the University of San Francisco,Texas A&M Universityand the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,are published online in the journal Obstetrics& Gynecology.The researchers analyzed data on approximately 80,000 mothers from the 2016 ­–18 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, or PRAMS, a CDC-coordinated project that collects information nationwide on maternal experiences before, during and shortly after pregnancy.Among that cohort, 1.1% reported having used e-cigarettes during the final three months of their pregnancy, and nearly two-thirds of those e-cigarette users said they had also smoked regular, or “combustible,” cigarettes during that period.“Although onlya small percentageof people used e-cigarettes, we were surprised with how many used both e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes during pregnancy, ” saidRegan,who also teac...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news