title: The effects of smoking in pregnancy on factors influencing fetal growth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of maternal smoking during pregnancy on factors influencing fetal growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty newborns of smoking mothers were prospectively compared with 60 newborns of non-smoking mothers. Pre-albumin, albumin, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor I, IGF binding protein 3, pH, lactic acid, erythropoietin and hemoglobin concentrations were measured in umbilical cord blood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infants of smoking mothers had a significantly lower birth weight (3418 +/- 533 vs. 3863 +/- 503 g; p < 0.001), length (50.5 +/- 2,6 vs. 52.3 +/- 1.9 cm; p < 0.001) and head circumference (34.6 +/- 1.8 vs. 35.8 +/- 1.1 cm; p < 0.001) than controls. They also had significantly lower insulin (3.2 (2.0-4.9) vs. 5.8 (4.6-7.1) mU/L; p = 0.008), insulin-like growth factor I (54.4 +/- 32.5 vs. 93.8 +/- 54.5 microg/L; p = 0.001) and IGF binding protein 3 (1664 +/- 432 vs. 1943 +/- 421 microg/L; p = 0.01) concentrations, than controls. Infants of smoking mothers also had significantly higher hemoglobin (167 +/- 14 vs. 157 +/- 13 g/L; p = 0.002) and erythropoietin (42.3 (25.1-72.4) vs. 26.3 (21.9-30.9) U/L; p = 0.03) than controls, but not pH or lactate concentrations. There was no significant difference in pre-albumin, albumin, triglycerides and glucose concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking during pregnancy causes symmetrical fetal growth impairment, possibly due to decreased oxygen transport to the fetus and decreased concentrations of fetal insulin, insulin-like growth factor I and IGF binding protein 3.
authors.affiliation: University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Landspitali University Hospital Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Ragnar F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ingvarsson
authors.forename: Anton O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Bjarnason
authors.forename: Atli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dagbjartsson
authors.forename: Hildur
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hardardottir
authors.forename: Asgeir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haraldsson
authors.forename: Thordur
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thorkelsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D047109:Fetal Development; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000032:analysis; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000032:analysis; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I