Relation of maternal cigarette smoking, obesity, and energy consumption to infant size

The dietary energy intakes of 153 public patients (94 smokers and 59 nonsmokers) and 383 Private patients (208 smokers and 175 nonsmokers) were assessed in the last month of pregnancy. Birth weight and crown-heel length of offspring were related to maternal size (weight for height) and smoking habits. Birth weight and length increased significantly with increasing maternal weight for height in the Private group but not in the Public group. In both groups, and in all weight categories, infants of smokers were lighter and shorter than those of nonsmokers. Neither the fetal growth retardation in the smokers nor the fetal growth enhancement in the overweight mothers was explainable on the basis of maternal dietary energy intake. Maternal obesity and cigarette smoking act independently of each other and maternal overweight does not protect the fetus against the growth-retarding of smoking.