Paper short abstract:

Tobacco uses during pregnancy have both been associated with a number of adverse effects on the growth. The aim of this study is to show the effect of maternal tobacco exposure during pregnancy on infant weight for a period of one year. The mean birth weight of new born babies in the present study group was 3.1959kg, with male birth weight as 3.2482 kg and female as 3.1390 kg respectively.

Paper long abstract:

Tobacco is used in various forms throughout India and among the present study group, that is Paite tribe of Churachandpur, Manipur, consumption is noted to be very high. This longitudinal study was designed to examine reciprocal relationships between the effect of maternal tobacco exposure during pregnancy and infant growth over the first 12 months of life. Several background variables, including maternal age, reproductive history, and other reliance sources of information were correlated with infant growth. The infants were measured 13 times, i.e., from birth to the age of twelve months at one-monthly intervals with a strict adherence to time tolerance limit of ±3 days is maintained . The mean birth weight of new born babies in the present study group was 3.1959kg, with male birth weight as 3.2482 kg and female as 3.1390 kg respectively. An interesting observation made in this study is the presence of least low birth weight babies (2.74%) inspite of ignorance playing an immense role on the health care of mother, the outcome on new born birth weight, which has been of global issues since decades, have fared well in the present study group.