Abstract
Background: Smoking use is the most important modifiable risk factor for pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality because it doubles the probability that children may be stillborn or die in the first year of life and increases the probability of suffering from multiple diseases, especially respiratory and otolaryngological. Objective: This study aimed to determine and analyze the clinical outcomes of perinatal complications related to maternal smoking in Iraq. Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective study of pregnant mothers, which included 75 samples whose ages ranged between 20-40 years. Participants' clinical data were collected from hospitals and centers located in Baghdad - Iraq, and this study covered the period from July 5, 2022, to April 16, 2023. This study recorded patients' clinical data, which included daily cigarette use during pregnancy, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and length of stay in Hospitalization, gestational age, fetal mortality rate, and admission to the intensive care unit. Also, this study recorded rates of perinatal complications associated with maternal smoking. We conducted a univariate analysis of the risk factors affecting pregnant women and the fetus after birth, and the long-term quality of life of pregnant mothers was assessed. Results: The study enrolled maternal data, which revealed that the majority of participants were in 20 – 30 years had 36 cases, the rate of comorbidities was 36%, and the rate of maternal smoking per day in the second half of pregnancy was between 1 and 8 cigarettes, with 45 cases, 10 cases involved a previous abortion, type of pregnancy included singleton (n = 72) and twin (n = 3) pregnancies, birth weight of the neonates was 2.5-3.0 kg, with 68% of neonates having this weight, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) occurred in 15 cases, the initiation of breastfeeding occurred in 54 cases, the birth type included stillbirth in 6 cases, while the rate of live births was 69 cases, the rate of perinatal complications related to maternal smoking was 24.0%, and the poor items of quality of life were daily activity with 62.10 ± 13.30 and social and emotional functions with 65.50 ± 12.9. Conclusion: Smoking during pregnancy is a major health problem. Maternal smoking conceives a serious risk not only for physical health but which increases of the risk mortality rate of maternal and fetuses