Pregnancy In Iran Research Articles

A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis on Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Iranian women (1986-2015).

Background:Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the cause of genital tract infections in women. Some evidence has shown the role of this infection with CT in spontaneous abortions. The purpose of this study is to study the frequency of CT infection in Iranian women.Methods:This study was performed based on PRISMA guidelines. A total of 75 articles published in Google Scholar, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Biological abs, Iranmedex, SID, and Scopus databases were found (1986–2015) using the following keywords: CT in women, CT and Iranian women, CT and infection in Iran, CT and pregnancy in Iran, CT and preterm delivery in Iran, CT and preterm labor in Iran, CT and fertility in Iran, CT and infertility in Iran, and CT and abortion in Iran. Finally, 40 studies from different regions of Iran were included. Statistical analyses were performed using R3 and STATA 12.Results:From 1986 to 2015, the lowest rate of prevalence was from 2010 to 2011 (3.9%) and the highest prevalence rate was in 2009 (69.39%) in northern Iran. Fixed effects for different parts of Iran (North, South, East, and West) were Pooled proportion: 0.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12–0.14) and for samples (cervical, vaginal, urine, and blood) the pooled proportion was = 0.14 (95% CI = 0.12–0.14).Conclusion:CT infection in this study was prevalent in urine samples and the rate of CT was observed from culture methods in comparison to other methods. Because women with CT play an important role because of sexual activity for transmission and untreated women are at risk of developing sequels. Also, most studies in Iran use sensitive polymerase chain reaction tests for the detection of genital CT infections.

The prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in Iran and the world: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

:Background:Domestic violence during pregnancy is a public health crisis, because it affects both mother ‎and fetus simultaneously, resulting in irreversible consequences for mothers and their ‎newborns. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of sexual violence during ‎pregnancy in the world and Iran as meta-analysis.‎Methods:This study is a meta-analysis on the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy ‎in the world and Iran that was conducted on Persian and English published articles up to ‎‎2015. To this end, through searching the information by key words and their compounds at SID, Medlib, Irandoc, Google scholar, Pubmid, ‎ISI, Iranmedex, Scopus and Magiran, all related articles ‎were extracted independently by two trained researchers. The results of studies ana-lyzed using ‎the STATA and Spss16 software.‎Results:In the initial searching of 167 articles, 33 articles related to Iran, 40 articles related to ‎other parts of the world and totally 73 articles met inclusion criteria for study. The prevalence ‎of sexual violence during pregnancy were estimated in the world 17% (CI95%:15% -18%) and ‎in Iran 28% (CI95%: 23% -32%).The prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in Iran is ‎‎11 percent more than the world.‎Conclusions:According to the present meta-analysis results, the prevalence of sexual violence ‎during pregnancy in Iran is high. Given that sexual violence during pregnancy causes damage to ‎the mother and infant, it is recommended that the relevant authorities with the implementation ‎of intervention and educational programs reduce the prevalence of sexual violence during ‎pregnancy.‎

Factors and Interventions Associated with Parental Attachment during Pregnancy in Iran: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Parents' attachment to the child is an intimate,warm and continuous relationship which is the basis of the natural development of the child. Attachment starts long before birth, and is affected by a variety of factors that are not definitively recognized. Also, several interventions have been proposed for improving it that their effectiveness has not yet been determined. Given the evidence about the role of cultural and national differences, it is necessary to review existing studies in order to identify these factors and interventions in Iran.Methods and Materials: In this review, Web of Science, Scopous, Proquest,Psycinfo, CINAHL and Pubmed databases and SID, Magiran, Irondoc, Barakat Knowledge Network System as Iranian databases were searched using English and Persian keywords such as prenatal attachment, relationship, maternal attachment between 2000 and 2017, to find articles related to prenatal attachment. The full text of the articles was studied by two reviewer and their main findings were extracted and categorized.Results: Factors and interventions associated with parental attachment summarized into 12 themes: parent education, culture, anxiety, family, planning for pregnancy, history of fetal loss, substance abuse, postpartum attachment, fetal anomaly, paternal attachment, attachment measurement tools, and effectiveness of education on prenatal attachment .Conclusion: the effect of education and counseling on prenatal attachment in Iranian parents suggests the use of these methods in prenatal care. Parent’s education, social support and marital satisfaction were significant associated factors with increasing maternal attachment. History of fetal loss, anxiety and smoking was associated with the poor prenatal attachment

Inhibitors and Facilitators of Unwanted Adolescent Pregnancy in Iran and the World: A Review

Background: Approximately 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 years and 1 million teenage girls less than 15 years of age become pregnant worldwide annually, and the majority of these pregnancies are unintended. Unwanted pregnancy coupled with impaired and inadequate physical and mental health can lead to slow progression of the community and the short- and long-term negative consequences. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the inhibitors and facilitators of unwanted pregnancy in Iran and across the globe. Method: The current narrative review was conducted using the keywords of pregnancy, unwanted, and adolescent in both Persian and English articles published from 2000 to 2016. The searched databases included Google Scholar, PubMed, Elsevier, Scopus, ProQuest, Irandoc, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran. Results: Twenty-nine articles related to the study objectives were selected. Our investigations indicated that the inhibitors of unwanted pregnancy could be classified into four main categories of abstinence, religious beliefs, employment program, and parent-adolescent relationship. Further, the facilitators of unwanted pregnancy were categorized into eight categories of pornography on the Internet and media, peer pressure, lack of knowledge and information, drug and alcohol abuse, violence, adherence to fashion in clothing, economic and income status and family structure. Implications for Practice: The findings of this review revealed that more studies were conducted to explore the facilitators of unwanted pregnancy in comparison with inhibitors. Shortage of knowledge and information among adolescents plays a major role in unwanted pregnancy. However, a definitive judgment on the contribution of each factor to unwanted pregnancy requires further in-depth studies.

Quality of life in women who were exposed to domestic violence during pregnancy.

BackgroundQuality of life in pregnant women is an important issue both for women’s and fetus’ health. This study aimed to examine quality of life in a group of women who were exposed to domestic violence during pregnancy.MethodsThis was a cross sectional study of quality of life among a consecutive sample of pregnant women attending to a teaching hospital in Lorestan, Iran. Women were screened for experiencing violence using the Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) questionnaire and were categorized as psychological abused, physical abused and non-abused groups. Quality of life was assessed using the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). One-way analysis of variance and t-test were used to examine differences in quality of life in the study sub-samples. In addition logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between general health and mental health and independent variables including age, education, parity and type of violence.ResultsIn all 266 pregnant women were approached, of which 230 (86.5 %) agreed to participate in the study. Of these, 149 women (64.8 %) reported that they had experienced either physical or psychological violence during pregnancy. A significant difference between abused and non-abused groups was identified, with the abused group recording lower mean scores on all sub-scales with the exception of the bodily pain (p = 0.27). In addition comparing quality of life between physical and psychological abused groups, women who reported physical violence recorded lower mean scores for physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain and general health, while women reporting psychological abuse had lower mean scores on social functioning, role emotional, vitality and mental health. Comparison between the physically and psychologically abused groups indicated significant differences only for role physical (p = 0.04), bodily pain (p = 0.003) and general health (p = 0.04). After adjusting for age, parity, and education, physical abuse was associated with poor physical health (OR = 2.13, 95 % CI = 1.05–4.36, p = 0.03), while emotional abuse was significantly associated with poor mental health (OR = 1.89, 95 % CI = 1.09–3.84, p = 0.04).ConclusionDomestic violence against women during pregnancy in Iran was evident and this had significant adverse association with their quality of life. Indeed health care professionals involved in the care of women need to be aware of the extent of the problem and consider how it may be impacting on the women in their care.

Evaluating Maternal Social Support in Low Birth Weight Neonates Comparing With Normal Neonates in 2012

Introduction: Pregnancy as a stressful event may cause some consequence for both mother and infant such as low birth weight (LBW). LBW is seen in about 7% of pregnancies in Iran. It was proved there is a correlation between infants weight and maternal social support. This study was designed to evaluate maternal perceived social support in LBW infants and infants with normal weight.
 Methods and Materials: This was a case-Control study which was done in Isfahan, Iran during April-November 2012 on 188 participants in 2 groups. In case group we had evaluated mothers with low birth weight infants and control group were mother with normal infants. Farsi version of Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-P) was used for social support evaluation.
 Results: In LBW group mean family support subscale score was 14.87 ± 4.33, Mean friends support subscale score was 9.65 ± 5.89 and significant others support subscale mean score was 15.18 ± 5.11. In normal weight group mean family support subscale score was 18.46 ± 3.98, Mean friends support subscale score was 15.4 ± 6.41 and significant others support subscale mean score was 18.46 ± 4.1.
 Conclusion: Maternal perceived prenatal social support could be a predictor for  infants birth weight. Supportive family could helps pregnant women to reduce adverse pregnancy out comes such as low birth weight.

Socioeconomic status and stress rate during pregnancy in Iran.

Background:Stress during pregnancy can have serious adverse outcomes on the mother, the fetus, newborn, children and even adolescents. Socioeconomic status has been recognized as a predictor of stress amongst pregnant women.Objectives:The first aim of this study was to investigate the role of socioeconomic status in pregnancy stress rates. The second aim was to examine the most important items of socioeconomic status including monthly family income, husband occupational status as well as mother’s educational level and their influence on the rate of maternal stress.Methods:This study was cross-sectional research and was conducted on 210 pregnant women in three trimesters of pregnancy who attended Shahryar hospital for prenatal care between August-October 2012. They completed two questionnaires of Socioeconomic Status and Specific Pregnancy Stress. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 19 including T-test, one-way ANOVA and Spearman correlation.Results:In this study, we considered family income, education and husbands’ occupations as the most important variables which may influence perceived stress during pregnancy. The mean age of women was 27±4.8 years. The final result showed that there is no significant relationship between SES and pregnancy stress level (P>0.05), while we found a significant relationship, as well as indirect correlation between husbands’ occupational status and pregnancy stress (P<0.05, r= -0.364).Conclusion:Further investigations may be considered for extending the results to all pregnant women. Thus, health officials and universities should finance other studies to investigate this fact and whether other dimensions of SES influence pregnancy stress levels or not.

Prenatal diagnosis of β-thalassemia in twin pregnancies in Iran.

Prenatal diagnosis of β-thalassemia carrier couples has helped to prevent bearing affected children. Among 177 couples referred to our laboratory for prenatal diagnosis, 14 mothers had twin pregnancies. By using direct and indirect methods, we determined their mutations and linkage analysis using polymorphic markers (restriction fragment length polymorphism [RFLP]). It was shown that in five families both fetuses were heterozygote carriers. In another five families, one fetus was normal and the other one was carrier. In two families, one fetus was affected and the other one was heterozygous carrier; in one case one fetus was affected and the other one was homozygote normal. In the last family both fetuses were homozygote normal. If all fetuses were fraternal then one would expect to see seven homozygote normal and the same number affected, and 14 carriers. Our results indicated that at least in cases where both fetuses had identical genotypes, then they may be identical twins. Molecular testing indeed showed that in three cases the twins were identical. Another point is that in three cases, one of the twin fetuses was affected and the other one was either normal or heterozygote in which only the affected fetuses were aborted by the specialist.

Levels, Trends, and Determinants of Unintended Pregnancy in Iran: The Role of Contraceptive Failures

The rate of contraceptive use in Iran is high, but because abortion is illegal, many unintended pregnancies among married women are likely to be terminated by clandestine and often unsafe procedures, resulting in adverse health outcomes. Drawing upon data from the 2009 Tehran Survey of Fertility, this study estimates the levels and trends of unintended pregnancy and examines determinants of pregnancy intentions for the most recent birth, using multinomial logistic regression analysis. The level of unintended pregnancy decreased from 32 percent in 2000 to 21 percent in 2009, while contraceptive use increased. Unintended pregnancies in the five years preceding the 2009 survey resulted from failures of withdrawal (48 percent) and of modern contraceptive use (20 percent), together with contraceptive discontinuation (26 percent) and nonuse (6 percent). Multivariate findings show that, compared with women experiencing withdrawal failures, the risk of unintended pregnancy was higher among women reporting modern contraceptive failure and lower among those reporting contraceptive discontinuation and nonuse. The high risk of unwanted pregnancy among women experiencing failures in practicing withdrawal or using modern contraceptive methods points to an unmet need for family planning counseling and education rather than to a shortage of contraceptive methods.

Comparison of unintended and intended pregnancy outcomes

Comparison of unintended and intended pregnancy outcomes

Prevalence of unwanted pregnancy in Iran: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Different studies show that a considerable number of pregnancies are unwanted and can have side effects on mothers'' children's and finally society's health. Accordingly, this meta-analysis study has been carried out to estimate a relatively accurate level of unwanted pregnancies in Iran. Present studies and published documents were retrieved from Persian and English electronic databases. To increase sensitivity and to select more studies, the reference list of the published studies was checked. After studying the titles and texts of documents, repeated and irrelevant ones were excluded. Data was analyzed using STATA V.11. Forty-nine qualified papers were selected with a 43,061 sample size. The meta-analysis of unwanted pregnancy prevalence in Iran equals 30.6% (CI = 28.1-33.1). Also' according to the present meta-analysis' the most common contraceptive methods used by couples prior to unwanted pregnancies are as follows: pills 27.1%' withdrawal 38.6%' IUD 11.4%' injection contraceptives 2.8%' vasectomy 0.28% and no method 24.5%. The results of meta-analysis showed that about one-third of pregnancies in Iran are unwanted and a high percent of them are among women who had used contraceptives. Therefore' it is necessary to adopt more appropriate policies on the following: education, proper pregnancy age, using contraceptive methods, men's role in family planning programs and quality promotion in family planning services.

Changes in sexual desire and activity during pregnancy among women in Shahroud, Iran

ObjectiveTo evaluate women's perception of sexual activity during pregnancy in Shahroud, Iran. MethodsData were gathered during 4 semi-structured group interviews with 33 pregnant women attending 2 obstetric outpatient clinics of a teaching hospital in Shahroud. The interviewers taped the interviews, coded and categorized their content, and performed a qualitative content analysis. ResultsMost women reported a decrease in sexual desire and frequency of intercourse during pregnancy (69.7% and 81.8%, respectively). Sexual desire, however, increased for 18.2% of the women. Some felt that accepting intercourse prevented spousal infidelity, but 65.2% worried that it might cause injury to the fetus. Only 24.2% received information on the advisability of sexual activity during pregnancy from their physicians or midwives, and the other 75.8% sensed that they should discuss the topic with a professional but were not comfortable starting the conversation. ConclusionAlong with excessive anxiety, insufficient information is the major reason why sexual intercourse is often considered dangerous, and sometimes avoided, during pregnancy in Iran. Healthcare professionals, especially midwives, should educate and counsel women, and reassure them that intercourse is safe in women with healthy pregnancies.

Seroepidemiology of cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy in Gonabad, east of Iran: a cross-sectional study.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection, with increased morbidity and mortality at birth. The risk of intrauterine infection largely depends on the time of maternal infection during pregnancy. Currently, no national screening test for CMV infection is available during pregnancy in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of CMV infection in pregnant women in the east region of Iran. In this descriptive study, conducted from February to April 2011, 240 serum samples were collected from pregnant women in the third trimester to measure CMV-specific immunoglobulin G (CMV-IgG) and CMV-specific immunoglobulin M (CMV-IgM) markers using ELISA test. IgG avidity test was used for all patients whom were positive CMV-IgM and positive CMV-IgG to distinguish primary and recurrent CMV infection. All positive CMV-IgM of pregnant women were monitored until birth. The majority of women (72.1%) were positive CMV-IgG in pregnancy. The rate of positive CMV-IgM, primary and recurrent infection was 2.5%, 0.83%, and 1.67% respectively. There was significant relation between history of abortion (P = 0.013) and residential place (P = 0.017) with IgG seropositive rate. Two subjects with positive CMV-IgM were faced with preterm labor and low birth weight. The findings of our study indicated high prevalence rate of CMV seropositivity in this part of eastern region of Iran. A national screening of CMV-IgM serological is suggested for pregnant women who are at risk of CMV infection.

Gestational diabetes mellitus in Iran – experience from the National Diabetes Program

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the non‐communicable disease (NCD) known as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Specifically, this paper aims to examine the influence of NCDs on health outcomes both worldwide and throughout the Islamic Republic of Iran, to discuss the current issues surrounding GDM and its impact on pregnant women and their children, and to present a new multi‐faceted approach for preventing future occurrences of GDM.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines the current issues surrounding NCDs and GDM, in terms of its prevalence and risk factors, and the efforts taken by the Iranian government to address the growing problem of GDM, through a comprehensive literature review. Further, this paper presents the basis for a new multi‐faceted approach for addressing and preventing GDM.FindingsGDM is an NCD that can damage the health of both mothers and children. The disease has been linked to macrosomia, congenital cardiac and central nervous system abnormalities, and skeletal muscle deformities among neonates. Pregnant women who develop GDM are more likely to have induced labor, require caesarean section, and develop type 2 diabetes later in life. In the most severe cases, GDM can even result in fetal and maternal mortality. Worldwide prevalence of GDM varies by country, but Iranian women are a particularly high‐risk population. In fact, approximately one of every 20 pregnancies in Iran will be affected by complications and outcomes related to GDM.Originality/valueIn response to growing concerns surrounding the current prevalence of GDM both worldwide and within the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with the associated impact of GDM on health outcomes, the paper presents a multi‐faceted approach for addressing this NCD. This approach will involve a consolidated program of prevention and control with a focus on health‐care solutions which promote both awareness and education.

Self-reported Use and Attitudes Regarding Herbal Medicine Safety During Pregnancy in Iran

Background: Despite the vast use of herbal medicines in the world, little is known about their use in pregnancy and the attitudes of pregnant women regarding their safety during pregnancy. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use and attitudes of pregnant women toward herbal medicine use in pregnancy in Iran. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was completed by 400 women selected by convenience sampling from postnatal and prenatal wards of two hospitals. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 13.5. Chi2 test was used to analyze the data. Results: The median age was 26.4 (± 5.2) years and the mean number of pregnancies was 1.9 (± 0.98). The use of herbal remedies during pregnancy was positive in 22.3% of patients. They took herbal medicines recommended by their physician (46.1%), through self-medication (44.9%), or with the advice of family members or friends (9%). Additionally, 39.8% believed that it was safe to use herbal remedies during pregnancy, 32.3% believed that it was harmful for both mother and fetus, and 22% did not know whether it was safe or not. Conclusions: Herbal medicine use was not high among our subjects but was significantly affected by age. The level of education, place of living, and number of pregnancies significantly affected the attitudes of the subjects. Women with higher education mostly relied on their own information, whereas those with lower education relied on physician advice. Further educational programs are required to increase the information for this group of susceptible individuals.

Self-reported Use and Attitudes Regarding Herbal Medicine Safety During Pregnancy in Iran

Despite the vast use of herbal medicines in the world, little is known about their use in pregnancy and the attitudes of pregnant women regarding their safety during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use and attitudes of pregnant women toward herbal medicine use in pregnancy in Iran. A questionnaire was completed by 400 women selected by convenience sampling from postnatal and prenatal wards of two hospitals. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 13.5. Chi2 test was used to analyze the data. The median age was 26.4 (± 5.2) years and the mean number of pregnancies was 1.9 (± 0.98). The use of herbal remedies during pregnancy was positive in 22.3% of patients. They took herbal medicines recommended by their physician (46.1%), through self-medication (44.9%), or with the advice of family members or friends (9%). Additionally, 39.8% believed that it was safe to use herbal remedies during pregnancy, 32.3% believed that it was harmful for both mother and fetus, and 22% did not know whether it was safe or not. Herbal medicine use was not high among our subjects but was significantly affected by age. The level of education, place of living, and number of pregnancies significantly affected the attitudes of the subjects. Women with higher education mostly relied on their own information, whereas those with lower education relied on physician advice. Further educational programs are required to increase the information for this group of susceptible individuals.

Factors Associated with the Use of Withdrawal in Iran: Do Fertility Intentions Matter?

The majority of unwanted pregnancies in Iran are due to withdrawal failures. This study seeks to explore factors associated with withdrawal use, which is highly prevalent among Iranian married couples. Multivariate logistic regression analyses are employed to estimate the likelihood of using withdrawal rather than modern contraceptives among a representative sample of 6199 Iranian married women using contraception, taken from the 2000 Iran Demographic and Health Survey. Among other findings, women’s fertility intentions strongly interacted with women’s parity, number of son, and wealth status, where birth limiters with a lower wealth status, lower parity, and no son were more likely to use withdrawal rather than modern contraceptives. Other results showed that higher education levels and economic status were strongly associated with the greater likelihood of using withdrawal rather than modern contraceptives. Women who lived in urban areas and were unemployed and who had a smaller number of children were more likely to use withdrawal rather than a modern contraceptive method. Compared with younger women, those aged 40-49 were more likely to use withdrawal than modern methods. A reduction in unwanted pregnancies can best be achieved by improving the current family planning program in regions and among subgroups of the population who regulate their fertility by using withdrawal.

Comparison of prenatal carè s initiation, pain and fourth stage bleeding in unintended and intended pregnancy in Iran

Prenatal care is a comprehensive program of maternal and neonatal care. This program includes pre conception assessment, initiation of prenatal care, and regular visits. Unintended pregnancies are associated delayed entry into prenatal care. Preventing of unintended pregnancies through decreasing of mother and neonatal problems, increases society health level. This was a casecontrol survey. By using a continued method, performed on 268 parturient presenting for vaginal delivery. According unintended or intended pregnancies were placed in two groups. Pregnancy outcomes include of initiation of prenatal care, fourth stage bleeding and pain was recorded for two groups. Initiation of prenatal care was completed through prenatal care centers, if they had any visit. According finding of this study, there were meaningful statistical evidences in initiation of prenatal care, and fourth stage bleeding. No other meaningful statistical differences in the fourth stage pain were found between the study groups. According the findings of the present study, unintended pregnancies are more likely to result in adverse health behaviors and outcome pregnancy. Therefore, Improving quality and access to family planning and emergency contraception, preconception counseling, reproductive health education, increasing of preventive health care for planning at the time of conception and increase of society health level is recommended.

Congenital Anomalies and Termination of Pregnancy in Iran

The aim of this study was to document some epidemiological features of termination of pregnancy for birth defects in Iran. We studied 603 pregnant women who were diagnosed/recommended for the termination of pregnancy as having a fetus with some types of birth defect(s). Most women (87.2 percent) had at least one ultrasound examination. The proportion of other screening tests including amniocentesis and genetic tests were 2.8 and 4.6 percent, respectively. Of 603 women, 201 terminated the pregnancy giving a prevalence rate of 33.3 percent (CI 95%: 29.6–37.6). The remaining 402 subjects were unable to get the permission for abortion because of untimely diagnosis/application for termination (20th week of pregnancy and/or later). Forty-eight percent of termination of pregnancies was performed before the 18th week of pregnancy. Neural tube defects, limb deformation, hydrops fetalis, hydrocephaly, and chromosomal anomalies including Down syndrome accounted proportionally for about 65 percent of defects eligible for abortion in the region. Although the rate of termination of pregnancy for birth defects is acceptable at the current situation in the country, more efforts should still be made to convince the community authorities to give more possibility and ease for the termination of pregnancy for congenital anomalies.

Association of self‐reported passive smoking in pregnant women with cotinine level of maternal urine and umbilical cord blood at delivery

Passive smoking during pregnancy leads to adverse effects on mother and infant. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the association between maternal reported passive smoking with the cotinine concentration of maternal urine and umbilical cord blood at delivery and to determine the accuracy of maternal reporting of exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy. This was a cross-sectional study. From the 108 non-smoker pregnant women who were referred for delivery, 54 were passive smokers. Urine samples were collected from the mothers in the delivery room and blood samples after birth were taken from the umbilical cord. Passive smoking was evaluated through questionnaire and cotinine level of urine and umbilical cord blood. The geometric mean cotinine concentration of the maternal urine and the umbilical cord serum were, respectively, 27.4 ± 29.96 ng/mL and 3.71 ± 1.22 ng/mL in the exposed group (P < 0.001) and 0.75 ± 2.29 and 0.40 ± 0.63 in the non-exposed group (P < 0.001). There was a statistically significant correlation between maternal urinary and umbilical cord serum level of cotinine (P < 0.001, r = 0.58). Significant associations were shown between maternal reports of exposure to cigarette smoking with cotinine level of urine (kappa = 96%) and umbilical cord (kappa = 98%) (P < 0.001). This study shows that the pregnant woman's report of passive smoking during pregnancy in Iran is accurate. The questionnaire is an appropriate method to evaluate smoke exposure and could replace cotinine measurement.