The effects of cigarette smoking and gestational weight change on birth outcomes in obese and normal-weight women.
OBJECTIVE
The associations of infant birth outcomes with maternal pregravid obesity, gestational weight gain, and prenatal cigarette smoking were examined.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of 1343 obese and normal-weight gravidas evaluated the associations of cigarette smoking, gestational weight change, and pregravid body mass index with birthweight, low birthweight, and small- and large-for-gestational-age births.


RESULTS
Smoking was associated with the delivery of lower-birthweight infants for both obese and normal-weight women, and gestational weight gain did not eliminate the birthweight-lowering effects of smoking. Women at highest risk of delivering lower-birthweight infants were obese smokers whose gestational gains were less than 7 kg and normal-weight smokers whose gestational gains were less than 11.5 kg.


CONCLUSIONS
To balance the risks of small and large-size infants, gains of 7 to 11.5 kg for obese women and 11.5 to 16 kg for normal-weight women appear appropriate.
Hellerstedt
W L
WL
School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55454, USA.
Himes
J H
JH
Story
M
M
Alton
I R
IR
Edwards
L E
LE
D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D009765:Obesity; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*