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TITLE:

ADVERSE EFFECTS OF SMOKELESS TOBACCO USE IN PREGNANCY

AUTHORS:

Vineela Nekkanti and Githa Kishore

ABSTRACT:

Background: In rural India, the use of smokeless form of tobacco is prevalent among women of child bearing age. Hence, our study was aimed at determining the impact of smokeless tobacco use in pregnancy on adverse maternal and foetal outcomes in rural Karnataka. Methodology: A prospective cohort study was carried out in a nursing home of Manvi taluk, Karnataka. The pregnant women, who had the habit of using smokeless tobacco (SLT) were recruited into our study. During the antenatal care (ANC) visits, these subjects were educated by the clinical pharmacist about the diet, exercise and lifestyle changes required during pregnancy and were followed up for four ANC visits until delivery. Later, their feto-maternal outcomes were recorded. Results: A total of 70 pregnant women using SLT were included into the study. Among these pregnant women, 27.14% claimed that they had quit the use of smokeless tobacco, after counselling. However, 82.85% of the study participants were still anaemic. While the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as lower segment caesarean section (LSCS), low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth and stillbirth was 22.85%, 60%, 12.85% and 1.42% respectively. Conclusion: Pregnant women who use SLT often end up having adverse feto-maternal outcomes. Many of the pregnant women fail to quit the use of smokeless tobacco and the reasons for this maybe illiteracy, lack of awareness or just their inability to overcome addiction. Hence, the need for comprehensive health education programs at grass root levels is paramount. Keywords: Smokeless tobacco, pregnancy, anaemia, feto-maternal outcomes.

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