Smoking ban cuts preterm births

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348845/description/News_in_Brief_Smoking_ban_cuts_preterm_births

by Nathan Seppa, sciencenews.org
March 2013

Since Belgium instituted a phased-in ban on smoking in public places, the Flanders region has seen a steady decline in preterm births, researchers report February 14 in BMJ. Smoking during pregnancy is known to impair fetal growth and shorten gestation, and some research suggests secondhand smoke can contribute to the same problems.

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