Cocaine abuse is associated with abruptio placentae and decreased birth weight, but not shorter labor

Many of our patients report having ingested cocaine hoping to decrease the duration of labor. We reviewed the computerized records of 592 women who abused cocaine. Compared with 4687 controls, women who ingested cocaine were older and had higher parity. Birth weight, birth weight percentile, and gestational age at delivery were significantly decreased among their neonates, and the incidence of abruptio placentae was nearly doubled among these women. Although these factors tend to shorten labor, the total duration of labor was not significantly different between the two groups. These data add to the accumulating evidence that cocaine abuse is associated with increased obstetric morbidity, but do not support the belief that cocaine shortens labor.