The results of a four-year study released today confirms that smoking and inadequate maternal weight gain are major risk factors for low birth weight and premature babies in Prince Edward Island.
The study is the first of its type ever done on Prince Edward Island. Conducted through the PEI Reproductive Care Program, the study included all Island births from 1991 through 1994, a total of 4,912 births.
The study found that Island women who smoke during pregnancy have an overall risk of having a low birth weight baby that is two-and-a-half times greater than for non-smokers, and a 30% increased risk of having a premature baby. Low birth weight is defined as less than 2500 grams, or five-and-a-half pounds.
In addition, the study found that Island women who gain less than seven kilograms (fifteen pounds) during pregnancy have a two-to-three times higher risk of having a low birth weight or premature baby.
"These results should be taken very seriously," said Dr. Mona Reck, chair of the Reproductive Care Program Board, "because low birth weight is the major cause of infant death worldwide. It accounts for about 75% of early infant death in both Canada and the US, and is a significant contributor to childhood disease and disability."
Dr. Reck said that low birth weight is the single greatest health concern during the prenatal stages of life. Low birth weight can cause long-term disabilities, and impact significantly on families because of the resulting multiple needs of these children for physiotherapy, speech therapy, specialized equipment, teaching specialists and other costly services.
The purpose of the study, Cigarette Smoking, Drinking Water Nitrates, and Other Potential Risk Factors for Adverse Reproductive Outcomes, was to assess the potential impact of non-environmental and environmental risk factors during the prenatal period on birth outcomes, specifically low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, prematurity and major cardiac defects.
The study used a population-based, case-control approach where the birth outcomes of cases (mothers giving birth to babies with selected adverse birth outcomes) were compared to those of controls (mothers of normal live born infants).
Dr. Reck said the findings will be used by the Reproductive Care Program and the Department of Health and Social Services to develop and support programs to reduce the established risk factors and achieve better birth outcomes in Prince Edward Island. "Smoking and inadequate maternal weight gain are modifiable risk factors that can be reduced through education, nutrition, smoking cessation and other supports. Based on the evidence that approximately 27% of Island women smoke during pregnancy, we can conclude that even a partial reduction in smoking prevalence in PEI could yield major benefits in human and financial cost to Island families."
The study also revealed that groundwater nitrate exposure estimates may be associated with low birth weight and prematurity. "However, the nitrate exposure estimates were not from the water supplies of the mothers themselves, but from regional samples taken during screening of groundwater across the province," said Chief Health Officer Dr. Lamont Sweet; "therefore, although this association is of interest and warrants further study, it provides insufficient information to conclude that any action should be taken now to reduce the intake of nitrates during pregnancy."
The Reproductive Care Program is a cooperative initiative of the Department of Health and Social Services and the Medical Society of Prince Edward Island to promote high standards of maternal-newborn care in PEI.
During the past thirteen years, the Program has participated in several research initiatives, developed provincial standards for prenatal assessment and care, and established a community-based referral system for high risk women.