Learning Objectives: Evaluate the correlation between maternal smoking and low birth weight outcomes. Discuss the benefit of smoking cessation in pregnant women.
Abstract: Infant Birth Weight and Smoking Status of Mothers: A Comparison Study in Alabama
Wendy Sykes-Horn, MPH, Lesa Woodby, PhD, Richard Windsor, PhD, Myra Crawford, PhD, Michael Hardin, PhD
Background: A causal, dose-response relationship between maternal smoking and low birth weight has been established. Smoking cessation intervention trials and evaluation studies have concluded that women who do not smoke give birth to children who are 250 to 260 grams heavier than those born to women who do smoke while pregnant. Most studies rely only on self- report of the mother to estimate the amount of tobacco exposure during pregnancy.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if women who smoke during pregnancy have
lower birth weight infants than women who do not smoke during pregnancy.
METHODS: Data from the Smoking Cessation or Reduction in Pregnancy Trial (SCRIPT) on both
smokers and non-smokers were used for analysis. Participants recruited in ten public health
clinics in eight counties reflect the appropriate census and racial variation needed to demonstrate
a representative sample. Saliva cotinine biochemical validation was used to corroborate
participants’ self-reported smoking status. Birth certificate data were used to obtain birth weight
of infants born to all SCRIPT participants--smokers and nonsmokers.
RESULTS: Smoking cessation during pregnancy offers great benefit to both the mother and the
infant. Study results suggest that infant birth weight may increase with smoking cessation.
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