Maternal smoking: risks related to maternal asthma and reduced birth weight in a Pacific Island birth cohort in New Zealand. 
This study investigated associations between smoking and maternal asthma and two indicators of pregnancy outcome: birth weight and preterm delivery.  Data were gathered as part of the Pacific Islands Families (PIF) Study.  Mothers of a cohort of 1398 Pacific infants born in South Auckland, New Zealand during 2000 were interviewed when their infants were 6 weeks old.  Mothers were questioned regarding maternal health and lifestyle behaviours such as cigarette smoking.  Additional data were obtained from hospital records.  Analyses focused on 1368 biological mothers.  Approximately 20% of mothers reported smoking during their last trimester of pregnancy.  Logistic regression analyses showed that smokers had over twice the risk of having maternal asthma as well as a low birth weight (LBW) or small for gestational age (SGA) infant than non-smokers.  Smoking significantly reduced mean birth weight from between 149.2 grams (1-9 cigarettes) to 204.3 grams (10+ cigarettes).  No significant association was found between smoking and preterm birth.  Smoking is preventable, yet continues to have negative consequences for mothers and their offspring.  Findings can inform public health policy and smoking cessation programmes for Pacific families.