Smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of placental abruption, a potentially life-threatening condition for both the mother and fetus, according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology. With placental abruption, the placenta detaches from the uterus wall prior to birth, resulting in severe bleeding. Sven Cnattingius, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, investigated whether the effect of maternal smoking on abruption risk is restricted to the pregnancy during which the mother smokes or whether subsequent pregnancies may be affected as well. Regardless of smoking status, having one abruption greatly increased the risk of another abruption. These findings further reinforce the message that women should reduce smoking during pregnancy, Ananth told Reuters Health. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. read more

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Smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of placental abruption, a potentially life-threatening condition for both the mother and foetus, according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology. With placental abruption, the placenta detaches from the uterus wall prior to birth, resulting in severe bleeding. Dr Cande V Ananth, from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Dr Sven Cnattingius, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, investigated whether the effect of maternal smoking on abruption risk is restricted to the pregnancy during which the mother smokes or whether subsequent pregnancies may be affected as well. According to the findings, smoking during pregnancy raised the risk of abruption during that pregnancy but seemed to have little impact on the risk in future pregnancies. Regardless of smoking status, having one abruption greatly increased the risk of another abruption. These findings further reinforce the message that women should reduce smoking during pregnancy, Ananth told Reuters Health. read more

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Pregnancy has prompted Nicole Richie to get healthy after fighting eating disorder charges for years. The famously skinny star has always insisted she isn’t anorexic, despite claims to the contrary and photographs of her looking dangerously underweight. But the socialite insists she’s taking her diet very seriously now she’s with child - and she’s distressed when she looks at old pictures of herself. But now Richie, who is four months pregnant with rocker Joel Madden’s child, insists she’s on a much healthier course. The socialite daughter of soul star Lionel Richie also declares she’s “playing by the rules”, and has given up caffeine, sushi, alcohol and drugs - and she has asked her family and friends not to smoke around her. read more

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