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The federal health authorities reported Thursday that nearly one-third of women of reproductive age had had an opioid painkiller prescription filled every year from 2008 to 2012. Experts said the practice carried considerable risks for birth defects. (Tavernise, 1/22)

More than one-fourth of women who might become pregnant are getting prescriptions for opioid painkillers, such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, that can cause birth defects and other serious problems early in pregnancy, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These common opioid medications are typically prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain, and they can also be found in some prescription cough medicines. But taking them early in pregnancy is dangerous. (Sun, 1/22)