HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by de Chazeron, I. Articles by Lemery, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by de Chazeron, I. Articles by Lemery, D.

Occult maternal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke exposure

¹ Department of Psychiatry B, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France
² Department of Biostatistics, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France
³ Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France
⁴ Sainte Marie Institut, Clermont-Ferrand, France
⁵ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Hôtel-Dieu) CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France
⁶ Biochemistry Department, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France

Correspondence to:
I de Chazeron
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, CMP-B, Rue Montalembert BP 69, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand Cedex 1, France; idechazeron{at}chu-clermontferrand.fr

ABSTRACT
Background: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a recognised air pollutant. Its harmful effects have been found to be implicated in health disorders, including unfavourable pregnancy outcomes. The discrepancy between self-reported emvironmental tobacco smoke exposure and cotinine levels in pregnant non-smokers in France was examined.

Method: Plasma cotinine was determined by a CPG-SM method on women who had answered a self-questionnaire describing their habits and environment during pregnancy.

Results: Of 698 pregnant women reported as non-smokers, 305 (43.7%) claimed not to be exposed to ETS, yet 196 of these (64.3%) had plasma cotinine levels above the limit of detection.

Conclusion: Self-reported data on ETS exposure in pregnant women therefore underestimate actual exposure. However, cotinine assay cab rectify this misclassification. An accurate identification of this risk factore will help to change attitudes towards ETS and avert its adverse effects on mother and fetus.

Abbreviations: ETS, environment tobacco smoke; LOD, limit of detection

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. E. Slickers, A. F. Olshan, A. M. Siega-Riz, M. A. Honein, A. S. Aylsworth, and for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study Maternal Body Mass Index and Lifestyle Exposures and the Risk of Bilateral Renal Agenesis or Hypoplasia: The National Birth Defects Prevention Study Am. J. Epidemiol., October 3, 2008; (2008) kwn248v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]