title: Effect of Maternal Cigarette Smoking on Newborn Iron Stores.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maternal smoking has been known to have a negative impact on the well being of the developing fetus. Prenatal smoking has been associated with premature births, low birth weight and with certain birth defects. Small research studies have also found a negative correlation between maternal smoking and neonatal body iron.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study and compare the relationship between maternal and infants' body iron in smokers and non-smokers in a large matched-pair cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective cohort study involving 144 mothers - 72 smokers and 72 non-smokers and their respective infants. Samples were obtained from maternal and infants' cord blood at delivery for Serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) and ferritin levels. Serum TfR and ferritin were measured by RAMCO ELISA and RIA assays. Total Body Iron (TBI) was calculated using the sTfR/ferritin ratio in a previously described formula by Cook et al.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women who smoked had lower sTfR, higher ferritin and higher body iron compared to nonsmoking women. In contrast to their respective mothers, we found a small, but statistically significant negative correlation between smoking and infants' total body iron. The number of packs per day smoked was also negatively correlated with infants' ferritin and total body iron. Lower birth weight was noted in babies of smokers compared to nonsmokers (mean /- SD =3270 +/-475 vs. 3393 g +/- 475 g, p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women who smoked during pregnancy had higher iron stores but their newborn infants had lower iron stores than those of non-smoking mothers. The more packs per day (PPD) and more days smoked during pregnancy led to lower total body iron of the babies. There may be a negative dose-dependent response between fetal smoke exposure and infant iron stores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital.
authors.forename: Irina B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Pateva
authors.affiliation: Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center Kansas City, KS.
authors.forename: Elizabeth H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kerling
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.
authors.forename: Manju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center Kansas City, KS ; Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center Kansas City, KS.
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: Stormont Vail Health Care, Topeka, KS.
authors.forename: Jakica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tancabelic
keywords: Cigarette smoking; anemia; ferritin; pregnancy; serum iron; serum transferrin receptor