Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the cotinine levels in the cordblood of infants who were exposed to cigarette smoke in the prenatalperiod and to emphasize the effects of passive exposure. Just beforedelivery, 107 pregnant women were included in the study. They were includedin a questionnaire about their smoking habits and demographicalstatus. After the blood was drawn from mother and the cord just after the baby delivered, serum cotinine levels were measured. Besides theheight, weight and gestational age of the infants were recorded. Accordingto the self reports, cases divided into three groups as follows; active smokers (n=35), passive smokers (n=36), group of no exposure (control group) (n=36). When compared with the control group the cotinine levels were significantly higher either in the mother or the cord blood of active and passive smokers (p<0.05). The cotinine levels in the mother and cord blood in active smokers were also found to be significantly higher than the passive smokers (p<0.05), and a strong correlation has been determined between the mother’s and the cord blood cotinine levels. Besides there were an increased linear correlation between the cotinine levels of mother and cord blood levels related to the number of exposed or smoked cigarette (p<0.05). No significant difference has been determined with respect to the height, weight and gestational ages of the infants between three groups (p>0.05). These results suggested that when the pregnant exposed to active or passive cigarette smoke, fetus also exposed to smoke at intrauterine period. But in order to find out the harmful effects of exposure more detailed and long-term studies are needed.