Bone mineral content of healthy, full-term neonates. Effect of race, gender, and maternal cigarette smoking
P. S. Venkataraman and J. C. Duke
Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73190.
In 238 healthy, full-term infants, we evaluated the effects of race,
gender, and maternal cigarette smoking on the newborn radial bone mineral
content. Sixty-one percent of the infants were male and 39% were female;
161 of 238 mothers were nonsmokers and 77 mothers were cigarette smokers.
Bone mineral content was significantly correlated with birth weight,
length, and head circumference. There were no significant race- and
gender-related differences in neonatal bone mineral content. There was no
significant difference in the bone mineral content, bone width, and bone
density of the newborn at the left distal-third radius site among the
infants of smokers compared with those of nonsmokers, and there was no
correlation between neonatal bone mineral content and the number of
cigarettes reportedly smoked per day by the mother.