The influence of mother's active smoking during pregnancy on body mass index of newborns.

Many investigations have noted bad influence of smoking during pregnancy. In the present article, the influence of mothers smoking during pregnancy on the body mass index (BMI), birth weight and birth length are examined. This retrospective research included 219 children: Group I: 109 children from rural area of east Slavonia (born in General Hospital-Vinkovci) and group II: 110 children from industrial area (born in Zagreb). The questioned subjects were divided into two groups depending on mothers smoking during pregnancy: newborns of mothers who didn't smoke during pregnancy (subgroup A) and newborns of mother who did smoke 10 or more cigarettes per day during pregnancy (subgroup B). Anthropometric parameters (BMI, birth length and birth weight) in newborns of non-smoking mothers were statistically higher (p < 0.05) than in newborns of smoking mothers. Moderate correlation between birth length and birth weight in newborns of non-smoking and smoking mothers from rural area and from non-smoking mothers in urban area was statistically significant, but correlation in the group in newborns of smoking mothers from Zagreb was not statistically significant. Results of this research show that smoking during pregnancy significantly influences the birth weight and birth length. Further investigation is needed, to investigate the lack of correlation between the birth length and birth weight in newborns of smoking mothers from industrial city.