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The effect of smoking tobacco on neonatal body composition
C A Lindsay1, A J Thomas, P M Catalano
1Department of Reproductive Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Maternal smoking during pregnancy leads to lower birth weight in infants. This reduction is mainly due to decreased fat-free mass, impacting infant body composition.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Neonatology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Maternal smoking is a significant public health concern with known adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes.
- Understanding the specific impact of smoking on infant body composition is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify the differences in body composition between infants born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy and those born to non-smokers.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 129 term infants was studied within 24 hours of birth.
- Body composition was assessed using anthropometric measurements and total body electrical conductivity (TBEC).
- Infants were categorized into two groups: those exposed to maternal smoking (n=30) and unexposed (n=99).
Main Results:
- Infants of smokers exhibited significantly lower birth weight (3145g vs 3354g, p=0.05).
- Decreased crown-heel length and lengths of lower leg, upper leg, and lower arm were observed in infants of smokers.
- Significantly reduced fat-free mass (2799g vs 2965g, p=0.02) was found in infants exposed to maternal smoking, while fat mass showed no significant difference.
Conclusions:
- The observed decrease in birth weight among infants of mothers who smoked is primarily attributed to a reduction in fat-free mass.
- These findings highlight a specific impact of maternal smoking on infant lean body mass development.
Objective:
Our purpose was to examine the differences in body composition in infants of women who smoke compared with those of nonsmokers.
Study Design:
Within 24 hours of birth anthropometric measurements and total body electrical conductivity estimates of body composition were obtained on 129 term infants (30 born to women who smoked tobacco during pregnancy and 99 born to women who did not smoke). Anthropometric measurements included weight, skinfolds, circumferences, and crown-heel and extremity lengths.
Results:
There was a significant decrease in weight in the infants of smokers (3145 +/- 414 gm vs 3354 +/- 525 gm, p = 0.05). There was a decrease in crown-heel length (49.2 +/- 2.0 cm vs 50.1 +/- 2.2 cm, p = 0.03), the length of the lower leg (7.9 +/- 0.6 cm vs 8.4 +/- 0.6 cm, p = 0.0001), upper leg (9.1 +/- 0.7 cm vs 9.9 +/- 0.8 cm, p = 0.0001), and the lower arm (7.2 +/- 0.5 cm vs 7.5 +/- 0.4 cm, p = 0.0001). There were no significant differences in the skinfold and limb circumference measurements. Infants of smokers had significantly decreased fat-free mass as estimated by total body electrical conductivity (2799 +/- 292 gm vs 2965 +/- 359 gm, p = 0.02) but no significant difference in fat mass (343 +/- 164 gm vs 387 +/- 216 gm, p = 0.32).
Conclusions:
The decrease in birth weight in infants of women who smoked is primarily due to a decrease in fat-free mass.