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Smoking during pregnancy measured by population cotinine testing
D M Tappin1, R P Ford, P J Schluter
1Community Paediatric Unit, Healthlink South, Christchurch.
The New Zealand Medical Journal
|August 22, 1997
Summary
Maternal smoking prevalence was assessed using antenatal serum cotinine testing. In 1994, over a third of early-pregnancy samples and a quarter of late-pregnancy samples indicated smoking, with lower infant birth weights observed in smoking mothers.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Public Health
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a significant public health concern.
- Accurate assessment of smoking prevalence is crucial for intervention strategies.
- Biochemical markers like cotinine provide objective measures of smoking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the baseline cross-sectional prevalence of maternal smoking.
- To utilize antenatal serum cotinine testing for objective smoking measurement.
- To establish prevalence rates in a specific pregnant population.
Main Methods:
- Residual sera from antenatal blood samples were collected anonymously.
- Serum cotinine levels were measured using an ELISA test (> 14 ng/mL indicated active smoking).
- Prevalence was calculated for pregnancies with confirmed live births.
Main Results:
- In early pregnancy (first two months), 35.3% of samples were cotinine positive.
- By the third trimester, smoking prevalence decreased to 26.8%.
- Infants born to smoking mothers exhibited significantly lower birth weights.
Conclusions:
- In 1994, approximately one-third of women in early pregnancy and one-quarter in late pregnancy were identified as smokers.
- Objective, repeated cross-sectional surveys are essential for evaluating smokefree interventions.
- Findings highlight the need for continued monitoring and intervention during pregnancy.
