NICOTINE CONCENTRATION IN THE HAIR OF NONSMOKING MOTHERS AND SIZE OF OFFSPRING

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to estimate the risk of smal l-for-gestational-age birth by levels of nicotine in the hair of mothe rs and offspring. Methods. In a sample of 58 case subjects and 105 con trol subjects, hair nicotine concentrations were measured by gas chrom atography and mass spectrometry. Results. With women whose hair nicoti ne concentrations were in the lowest quartile as the reference group, the odds ratio (OR) for small-for-gestational-age birth was increased among women with concentrations in the upper and two middle quartiles (OR = 4.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]= 1.5, 11.5, and OR = 3.2, 95% CI= 1.3, 8.0). When smoking mothers were excluded from the analysis, t he corresponding odds ratios were 2.1 (95% CI = 0.4, 10.1) and 3.4 (95 % CI = 1.3, 8.6). Conclusion. The results suggest that passive matern al smoking increases the risk of small-for-gestational-age births.