title: Hematological parameters and cobalamin status in infants born to smoking mothers.
abstract: Hematological parameters, serum cobalamin and folate levels, and the concentrations of the functional markers plasma methylmalonic acid and total homocysteine were determined in 173 newborns and 46 infants at 6 weeks to see whether maternal smoking influences the hematological parameters and the vitamin status of the newborn. At birth, there was a strong inverse correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy and red blood cell count (r = -0.56, p = 0.001) and hemoglobin level (r = -0.52, p = 0.003) in the newborns. Neonates born to smoking mothers had lower red blood cell counts and lower hemoglobin and serum cobalamin levels as compared with infants born to nonsmoking mothers. At 6 weeks, maternal smoking significantly predicted the methylmalonic acid and total homocysteine levels, suggesting an influence from smoking on the cobalamin function in these infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. albm@online.no
authors.forename: Anne-Lise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bjørke Monsen
authors.forename: Stein Emil
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Vollset
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Refsum
authors.forename: Trond
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Markestad
authors.forename: Per Magne
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ueland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005865:Gestational Age; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D006710:Homocysteine; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12