- Full (HTML) - Full (PDF) - Related EHP Articles - PubMed:Related Articles - PubMed:Citation - Cited in PMC - Purchase This Issue

Jouni J.K. Jaakkola,^1,2 Niina Jaakkola,¹ and Kolbjřrn Zahlsen³

¹Environmental Health Program, The Nordic School of Public Health, Göteborg, Sweden; ²Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; ³Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Regional and University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway

Abstract

We assessed the effects of prenatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke on fetal growth and length of gestation. The study population consisted of 389 nonsmoking women who were selected from a population-based study in southeast Finland on the basis of questionnaire information after delivery (response rate 94%) . The final exposure assessment was based on nicotine concentration of maternal hair sampled after the delivery, which measures exposure during the past 2 months (i.e., the third trimester) . The exposure categories were defined a priori as high (nicotine concentration 4.00 µg/g ; n = 52) , medium (0.75 to < 4.00 µg/g ; n = 186) , and low as the reference category (< 0.75 µg/g ; n = 151) . In logistic regression analysis, controlling for confounding, the risk of preterm delivery (< 37 weeks) was higher in the high [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 6.12 ; 95% confidence interval (CI) , 1.31-28.7] and medium exposure categories (adjusted OR = 1.30 ; 95% CI, 0.30-5.58) compared with the reference category, and there was a 1.22 (95% CI, 1.07-1.39) increase in adjusted OR with a 1 µg/g increase in hair nicotine concentration. The corresponding adjusted OR was 1.06 (95% CI, 0.96-1.17) for low birth weight and 1.04 (95% CI, 0.92-1.19) for small-for-gestational-age. Key words: biomarkers, birth weight, hair nicotine, preterm delivery, small for gestational age, tobacco smoke pollution. Environ Health Perspect 109:557-561 (2001) . [Online 21 May 2001]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p557-561jaakkola/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to J.J.K. Jaakkola, Environmental Health Program, The Nordic School of Public Health, P.O. Box 12133, SE-402 42 Göteborg, Sweden. Telephone: +46-31-693980. Fax: +46-31-691777. E-mail: jouni.jaakkola@nhv.se.

We thank the physicians and nurses in the Kymi and Porvoo Hospital Districts for their help and support that made this study possible. This study was supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland.

Received 15 August 2000 ; accepted 7 December 2000.