Abstract
Research has shown that maternal smoking affects fetal growth and is associated with several complications of pregnancy including abruptio placentae, placenta previa, premature rupture of membranes, and premature delivery. Studies show that infants of smoking mothers have a higher mortality rate, are smaller children, experience learning deficits, and potentially have a higher incidence of behavioral problems. In effort to predict and prevent the long-term effects of maternal smoking on physical growth and intellectual development in children, many studies have been conducted to identify factors, biologic and environmental, that may adversely affect fetal growth and subsequent child development. This report presents an overview of these studies regarding the effects of smoking on pregnancy.