THE EFFECT OF MATERNAL CIGARETTE SMOKING ON FETAL BIRTH WEIGHT AND ON GROWTH OF THE FETAL BIPARIETAL DIAMETER

Abstract
Some 2 otherwise comparable groups of patients, 27 of whom were non-smokers and 20 of whom smoked in excess of 10 cigarettes/day, had serial fetal biparietal diameter measurements taken by ultrasonography throughout pregnancy; from the 21st wk onwards, the fetal biparietal diameters increased significantly more slowly (P < 0.01) in mothers who smoked. The infant birth weight was significantly (P < 0.001) smaller for the group of smoking mothers.