The Effects of Prenatal Secondhand Smoke Exposure on Preterm Birth and Neonatal Outcomes

• Published in: Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing Vol. 39; no. 5; pp. 525 - 535
• Main Authors: Ashford, Kristin B., Hahn, Ellen, Hall, Lynne, Rayens, Mary Kay, Noland, Melody, Ferguson, James E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Elsevier Inc 01.09.2010; Blackwell Publishing Inc; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Babies; Biomarkers; Birth; Case-Control Studies; Clinical outcomes; Cotinine - urine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hair; Hair - chemistry; hair nicotine biomarkers; Human exposure; Humans; Kentucky - epidemiology; Male; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; Neonates; Nicotine; Nicotine - analysis; Nursing; Obstetrics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Premature birth; Premature Birth - epidemiology; Premature Birth - etiology; Prenatal experience; preterm birth; Regression Analysis; secondhand smoke exposure; Smoke; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; smoking and pregnancy; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - analysis; Kentucky; United States > US; preterm birth; smoking and pregnancy; secondhand smoke exposure; hair nicotine biomarkers
• ISSN: 0884-2175; 1552-6909
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2010.01169.x

To examine the relationship between prenatal secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, preterm birth and immediate neonatal outcomes by measuring maternal hair nicotine. Cross‐sectional, observational design. A metropolitan Kentucky birthing center. Two hundred and ten (210) mother–baby couplets Nicotine in maternal hair was used as the biomarker for prenatal SHS exposure collected within 48 hours of birth. Smoking status was confirmed by urine cotinine analysis. Smoking status (nonsmoking, passive smoking, and smoking) strongly correlated with low, medium, and high hair nicotine tertiles (ρ=.74; p<.001). Women exposed to prenatal SHS were more at risk for preterm birth (odds ratio [OR]=2.3; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] [.96, 5.96]), and their infants were more likely to have immediate newborn complications (OR=2.4; 95% CI [1.09, 5.33]) than nonexposed women. Infants of passive smoking mothers were at increased risk for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (OR=4.9; 95% CI [1.45, 10.5]) and admission to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (OR=6.5; CI [1.29, 9.7]) when compared to infants of smoking mothers (OR=3.9; 95% CI [1.61, 14.9]; OR=3.5; 95% CI [2.09, 20.4], respectively). Passive smokers and/or women with hair nicotine levels greater than .35ng/ml were more likely to deliver earlier (1 week), give birth to infants weighing less (decrease of 200‐300g), and deliver shorter infants (decrease of 1.1‐1.7cm). Prenatal SHS exposure places women at greater risk for preterm birth, and their newborns are more likely to have RDS, NICU admissions, and immediate newborn complications.