ABSTRACT
To detect the effect of passive smoking on pregnancy outcome. Prospective study. This study was carried out on 70 pregnant women from those attending antenatal care at Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Al-Azhar University Hospitals. The selected pregnant women were divided into the following groups: * Group I: Including 20 pregnant women did not expose to cigarette smoking and did not smoke during pregnancy [non exposed group]. * Group II: Including 50 pregnant women did not smoke during pregnancy but exposed to husband cigarette smokes at home, in close proximity, at least 4 hours daily [exposed group or passive smokers]. This group was subdivided into: * Subgroup A: Including 21 exposed pregnant women with husband smokes less than 20 cigarettes/day mild exposure subgroup". * Subgroup B: Including 29 exposed pregnant women with husband smokes 20 or more cigarettes/day "Heavy exposure subgroup". There was a significant decrease in birth weight. [Kg] in exposed [mild and heavy] groups compared to non exposed group; mean: 3.32 +/- 0.32 - 3.22 +/- 0.27 and 3.4 +/- 0.37] respectively. [p<0.05], and decrease in birth length [cm] in exposed [mild and heavy groups compared to non exposed group; mean: [49.79 +/- 1.43 - 49.54 +/- 1.73 and 50.55 +/- 1.65] respectively [p<0.05] and decreased in chest circumference at birth [cm] in exposed [mild and heavy] groups compared to non exposed group; mean: [32.8 +/- 1.01 - 32.52 +/- 1.22 and 33.10 +/- 1.59] respectively [p<0.05] > But, there was no statistically significant difference between exposed groups and non exposed regarding head circumference at birth [cm]; mean: [34.82 +/- 1.52 - 34.6 +/- 1.57 and 35 +/- 1.14] respectively. Also there was no statistically significant difference between exposed groups and non exposed regarding Apgar score at 1 minute and 5 minutes, mean at 1 minute [9.05 +/- 0.97 - 8.93 +/- 0.92 and 9.20 +/- 0.89] respectively mean at 5 minutes [9.86 +/- 0.36-9.76 +/- 0.44 and 9.80 +/- 0.41] respectively. Passive smoking in pregnant women reduces neonatal growth parameters [birth weight - birth length, head circumference and chest circumference], but does not affect the Apgar Score at 1 or 5 minutes. The pregnant women should strongly avoid passive smoking and the husbands should stop smoking at home