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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Maternal smoking, birth weight, infant death, and the self-selection problem
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|August 1, 1978
Summary
Maternal smoking
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neonatal Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Maternal smoking is a known risk factor for low infant birth weight.
- Previous research suggests individual factors, not just smoking, influence birth outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the complex relationship between maternal smoking and infant birth weight.
- To investigate alternative explanations for observed birth weight disparities.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on maternal smoking and infant birth weight.
- Analysis of Yerushalmy's and Silverman's findings.
- Hypothesizing physiological mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Low birth weight may be more strongly associated with the individual mother (smoker) than the act of smoking.
- Nicotine's potential role in alleviating maternal bioenergetic deficiency is considered.
Conclusions:
- Both maternal smoking and low birth weight could be indicators of underlying maternal bioenergetic deficiencies.
- Further research is needed to understand the interplay between maternal physiology, smoking, and infant development.
Keywords:
BehaviorDemographic FactorsFetal DeathInfant MortalityMaternal-fetal ExchangeMortalityPopulationPopulation DynamicsPregnancyReproductionSmoking--side effectsMore Related Videos
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