Article Abstract:
The relationship between maternal cocaine use early in pregnancy and urogenital birth defects in infants was studied in a group of 276 infants with urinary anomalies and 791 infants with genital anomalies. The control group for each of these subgroups consisted respectively of 2,835 and 2,973 babies without birth defects, randomly selected through birth certificates. There was a significant link between urinary tract defects and maternal cocaine use during the period one month before pregnancy through the third month of pregnancy. There were no links between cocaine and genital birth defects. These findings were consistent with earlier studies performed on humans and animals.
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Article Abstract:
The ACE Inhibitor (ACEI) Registry can be a useful source of information about the effects of ACE inhibitors used during pregnancy. The registry was organized in 1992 by the Organization of Teratology Information Services. Between 1987 and 1995, 66 women contacted the registry because they had used an ACE inhibitor during the first trimester of pregnancy. ACE inhibitors have been associated with certain birth defects. Of the 48 infants born, 3 had experienced intrauterine growth retardation and 1 had a patent ductus arteriosus. However, it is not clear that these defects were related to ACE inhibitor use.
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Article Abstract:
The fear of a generation of 'crack babies' is probably overblown and has resulted in criminal prosecution of pregnant women who use cocaine instead of offering them effective treatments. Researchers who reviewed 36 studies found that prenatal cocaine exposure had no lasting negative effects on the baby.
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