PAINKILLERS DURING LABOR UP OFFSPRING'S RISK OF FUTURE DRUG ABUSE

Scientists have discovered another "pro" of natural childbirth: It seems
that women who take pain medication during labor may be upping their
children's odds of future drug dependency.

The study compared 69 drug-abusing subjects with 33 of their siblings
who did not abuse drugs. Subjects whose mothers took three or more doses
of opiates or barbiturates during childbirth were 4.7 times more likely
to develop drug abuse problems than were subjects whose mothers did not
rely on pain medication during their birth.

Epidemiology November 2000;11:715-6.

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