MATERNAL SMOKING AND TRISOMY AMONG SPONTANEOUSLY ABORTED CONCEPTIONS

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 35  (3) , 421-431
Abstract
In a study of spontaneous abortions, an apparently robust association of trisomy with smoking that varies with maternal age was found. Among women under age 30, smoking either before or at the time of conception is less common in women aborting trisomic conceptions than in controls delivering at 28 wk or later. Among older women, smoking is more common in women aborting trisomic conceptions than in controls. The results point to an effect of smoking on the frequency of trisomic abortions that varies with age, and they suggest that the causes of recognized trisomic abortions differ in younger and older women.