The combined influence of maternal body mass index (BMI) and smoking on the somatic development of female and male neonates

Background and aim: Maternal BMI at the beginning of the pregnancy and smoking during pregnancy exert an influence on fetal growth. We aimed to quantify the combined influence of these factors for female and male neonates. Material and methods: Data of 508,926 singleton pregnancies from the German perinatal survey of 1998–2000 were available for analysis. Maternal daily cigarette consumption (when the pregnancy became known) was analysed in four groups (non-smokers, 1–7, 8–14, ≥15 cigarettes per day). Maternal BMI (from height and weight measurements obtained at the first obstetric consultation) was classified a…