Effect of parental smoking on cotinine levels in newborns.
BACKGROUND
Smoking is a major risk factor for cot death. Many infants smoke passively as a result of parental smoking. This paper reports on infants exposed to a smoking environment and how they accumulate metabolites of cigarette smoke, such as cotinine, which may be physiologically harmful.


OBJECTIVE
To assess cotinine levels in infants of smoking parents.


METHODS
Cotinine excretion in urine was assessed in 104 infants, of whom 71 had smoking parents and 33 had non-smoking parents. All cotinine levels were measured at approximately 12 weeks of age. The subjects were selected from a database of infants in developmental physiological studies which assessed the impact of various factors on early postnatal development.


RESULTS
On average babies with at least one parent who was a current cigarette smoker excreted 5.58 (95% CI 3.4 to 9.5) times as much cotinine in the urine as did the babies of non-smoking parents. Maternal smoking was the largest contributing factor. Co-sleeping (p = 0.037) and the minimum room temperature (p = 0.028) were significant contributory factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Infants from smoking households accumulate cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, which may have a detrimental effect on the cardiorespiratory system.
Joseph
D V
DV
University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK.
Jackson
J A
JA
Westaway
J
J
Taub
N A
NA
Petersen
S A
SA
Wailoo
M P
MP
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D003367:Cotinine