Prenatal alcohol use or smoking and their effect on fetal growth,
stratified by dose, timing and single or dual use: a prospective cohort
study.
Abstract
Objective: Determine effects of prenatal smoking and drinking
on birthweight. Design: An ancillary study of a prospective,
multinational cohort study (the Safe Passage Study) assessing fetal
effects of alcohol. Setting: South African community of low
socioeconomic status. Sample: Pregnant women with single,
normal, liveborn infants (August 2007- January 2015). Methods:
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) was determined on multiple occasions
during pregnancy and transformed into number of standard drinks (14 g
pure alcohol) per day or binges (≥ 4 standard drinks per event).
Cigarette exposure (PCE) was recorded from the number of days smoked per
month and amount smoked on typical days. PAE and PCA, single or in
combination, were expressed as continuous variables, exposure groups or
trajectories, and compared with maternal and infant characteristics.
Main outcome measures: BW z-scores (BWZs) and proportions of
(severe) small-for-gestational age infants (SGA; < P10 (P3))
in relation to exposure metrics. Results: There were 4 098
participants (64.8% drinkers (63.3-66.3% CI), 63.0% smokers
(61.4-64.34 CI), 45.8% dual users (44.3-47.3% CI); 739 SGA (18.0%
(16.9-19.2%)) and 266 severe SGA (6.5% (5.8-7.3% CI)). BWZs were
significantly lower with all exposure metrics, even low single use and
when quitting during pregnancy. (Severe) SGA was increased with all
exposure metrics, esp. with continued and/or dual exposure, even if low.
Controlling for maternal variables which independently correlated with
exposures and/or fetal growth, these findings persisted for exposure
trajectories, and all dual exposure groups, but not for single exposure.
Conclusions: Dual exposure to smoking and drinking (even low)
reduces fetal growth.