Abstract
The aim of our study was to assess associations between smoking behavior before and during pregnancy and selected adverse birth outcomes. This study is based on the Murmansk County Birth Registry (MCBR). Our study includes women who delivered a singleton pregnancy after 37 weeks of gestation (N = 44,486). Smoking information was self-reported and assessed at the first antenatal visit during pregnancy. We adjusted for potential confounders using logistic regression. The highest proportion of infants with low values of birth weight, birth length, head circumference, ponderal index and of the Apgar score at 5 min was observed for women who smoked both before and during pregnancy. We observed a dose-response relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy and the odds of the aforementioned adverse birth outcomes; neither were there significant differences in their occurrences among non-smokers and those who smoked before but not during pregnancy. Moreover, smoking reduction during pregnancy relative to its pre-gestation level did not influence the odds of the adverse birth outcomes. Our findings emphasize a continued need for action against tobacco smoking during pregnancy.
Highlights
Tobacco smoking is a public health problem
We examined the associations between several adverse birth outcomes and smoking status during pregnancy, the number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy, as well as reduction in smoking while pregnant
(0.6%), head circumference (2.4%), ponderal index (11.0%), and Apgar score at 5 min (1.0%). These adverse birth outcomes were more prevalent in women who smoked during pregnancy (Table 1) and their proportions increased with the number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy, with ponderal index the exception
Summary
Tobacco smoking is a public health problem Even though this habit is less common among women than men in Russia, it appears to be on the increase among women aged ≥15 years [1]. This trend will lead to an increased prevalence of smoking during pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy is known to impair placental development by reducing blood flow [4]. It can produce a hypoxic environment and lead to a reduced provision of oxygen and micronutrients. The incidence of preterm deliveries and the incidence of very-early preterm deliveries are reported to be higher in women who smoke during pregnancy [9]
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