Prenatal exposure to passive smoking has consequences both in childhood and in
adulthood. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy, preoxidant/antioxidant imbalance
might have pathomorphological and pathophysiological effect on fetus. Therefore the
aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of tobacco smoking during
pregnancy on activity of superoxide dismutase, and the levels of lipid peroxidation
marker, lead, cadmium, copper and zinc. The subjects of the study consisted of sixty
three parturient mothers and their neonates. Urine and serum samples were collected
from mothers and their neonates. Our results reveled that there was a significant
positive correlation between cotinine levels in meconium and both maternal urinary
and serum cotinine levels. It could be concluded that preventing and reducing
passive maternal smoking during pregnancy might have a beneficial impact on infant
size at birth.