Effect of smoking during pregnancy on anthropometric characteristics at birth

To assess the effect of tobacco consumption during pregnancy on height and birth weight of newborns. Two cohort studies on lead exposure conducted in Mexico City between 1993 and 2000 were analyzed. Data were analyzed to assess the differences in height and birth weight between children of women who smoked during pregnancy and those who did not, adjusting for other important factors. Statistical analysis consisted of multiple linear regression models. The proportion of women who smoked during pregnancy was 4.7%. The birth weight of children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy was 154 grams less on average (95% confidence interval [CI] -284.7, -24.7) and their height was 0.79 cm less (95% CI -1.5, -0.1) than the children of non-smokers during pregnancy. These findings evidence the deleterious effect of tobacco consumption on children.