The most common illicit drug used by women of reproductive age and by pregnant women is cannabis (DrugInfo, 2005). Although there are limited national data available on illicit substance use among parents in Australia, the 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey estimated that 12% of parents with children aged 0–14 years used either an illicit...

Bad timing is the most common reason for women seeking abortions at the Royal Women’s Hospital. The study, that is the first in Victoria to look at women who considered aborting unplanned pregnancies, analysed 3018 women seeking terminations between October 2006 and September 2007. Findings reveal that 1026, or 34 per cent, listed their primary...

This report is one of a series of initiatives commissioned by the National Advisory Group on Smoking and Pregnancy as part of an overall strategy to reduce smoking in pregnancy in Australia. It presents data on pregnancy and births according to the mother's smoking status during pregnancy for the period 2001 to 2003.This report is...

Background: Iodine requirements increase in pregnancy as both the mother and foetus need iodine for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. In response to a re-emergence of iodine deficiency in New Zealand in the 1990s, bread was fortified with iodised salt in 2009 and a recommendation for a daily supplement of 150 µg iodine in pregnancy...