The impact of secondhand smoke on neonatal biometric outcomes and gestational age in Hungary

Abstract

Summary Introduction. Prenatal secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is a substantial problem in Hungary’s four underdeveloped northeastern counties, where a considerable ethnic Roma population resides. Aim. We aimed to explore the correlation of at-home SHS exposure and consequences on neonatal outcomes in the four Hungary’s northeastern counties. Material and methods. Data were collected from mothers in Hungary’s four underdeveloped counties who were delivered of live born babies in years 2009-2011 (n = 16,859). The neonates’ biometric parameters (birth weight, body length, head and chest circumference, gestational age) were obtained from medical records. Demographic and sociocultural data of mothers were obtained from in-person surveys. The response rate was 74.5%. We conducted binary logistic regression analysis of maternal variables for SHS exposure, frequency analysis for central tendencies and dispersion and t-probes for comparing the means of neonatal measurements using significance level p < 0.05 (IBM-SPSS v. 23 software). Results. In the non-smoking sample (n = 8,497), pregnant women exposed to SHS were typically less educated (OR = 3.32, 95% CI = 2.64-4.18), of Roma ethnicity (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.36-2.15), living without amenities (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.37-2.11) and of extramarital status (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.27-1.82). The negative difference of birth weight following foetal SHS exposure was 154.9 grams (95% CI = -188.5 – -121.3), the difference of body length – 0.8 cm (95% CI = -1.06-0.6), and of head and chest circumference – 0.5 cm (95% CI = -0.6-0.3 and -0.7-03, respectively). Gestational age was shortened by mean 0.4 week. Conclusions. At-home SHS exposure has an impact on biometric and obstetrical parameters of newborn babies. Tobacco cessation programs for pregnant women must also focus on lowering SHS exposure, especially in households with lower socioeconomic status, where such exposure is prevalent. Keywords: secondhand smoke during pregnancy, newborns’ biometric data, mothers’ social status