Electronic cigarettes and obstetric outcomes: a prospective observational study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Reproductive Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Smoking during pregnancy poses risks to fetal development.
• Electronic cigarette (EC) use is increasing among pregnant women.
• Limited data exists on the obstetric outcomes associated with EC use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare obstetric outcomes and socio-demographic factors of pregnant electronic cigarette (EC) users with cigarette smokers and non-smokers.
• To assess the impact of EC use on infant birthweight and other neonatal outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational cohort study conducted in a large urban maternity hospital.
• Pregnant women were categorized into exclusive EC users, dual users (EC and cigarettes), and non-smokers.
• Maternal and neonatal outcomes, including infant birthweight, were compared across groups using logistic regression analysis.

Main Results:

• Infants born to exclusive EC users had a mean birthweight similar to non-smokers (3470g vs. 3471g) and significantly greater than smokers (3166g).
• The mean birth centile for EC users was similar to non-smokers (51st vs. 47th) and significantly higher than smokers (27th).
• Dual users exhibited mean birthweight and birth centile similar to those of smokers.

Conclusions:

• Infant birthweight among electronic cigarette (EC) users during pregnancy is comparable to non-smokers.
• EC use during pregnancy appears to be associated with better birthweight outcomes than cigarette smoking.
• Dual use of ECs and cigarettes does not mitigate the negative impact on birthweight seen with smoking alone.