Conducting a Literature Review Data Collection - Essay Example

Literature Review It is worthwhile to mention that Maternal smoking during pregnancy has become a definite source of infant health problems (physical, mental, physiological and psychological) that later adversely impacts society as a whole. It should be recalled that healthy and dynamic children then constitute a healthy society and contribute in well-being and growth of nation as a whole. 1.1 – Asthma and Wheezing The study of Gilland et al (2000) had revealed that smoking habit of mothers (during or after pregnancy) have strong relationship with infant problems because maternal smoking negatively impacts respiratory systems and has ‘long-lasting effects on children’s respiratory health’.

For instance, the mothers’ smoking habit also increases the probability of ‘physician-diagnosed asthma and wheezing’ after first few years of birth. For instance, the unborn children in uterus were found vulnerable to asthma and adverse respiratory effects primarily because of maternal smoking. 1.2 – Maternal Smoking and Low Birth Weight Veiga & Wilder (2006) conducted an extensive research on maternal smoking habit during pregnancy among African – American and Caucasians in American society.

The authors actually based their research on previous findings of 180 – 200 gm weight deficit among new born children whose mothers smoke during pregnancy. Their new research results augmented the weight losses as the researcher revealed that maternal smoking is noxious for health of unborn children and that the smoking causes weight loss of 200 – 230 gm. For instance, the probability of low birth delivery (LBD) among smoking mothers during pregnancy is twice than that of non-smoking women.

In addition, the demographic factors such as race, marital status, age, education and income level also impact the results since greater percentage of LBDs had been recorded among Caucasians in comparison to Afro – American women. 1.3 – Maternal Smoking and Obesity Oken et al (2008) have highlighted the adverse impact of maternal smoking habit during pregnancy on childhood obesity after compiling the results and findings from 14 observational studies in which more than 84,000 children were experimented.

It should be pointed out that the researchers confirmed that maternal smoking during pregnancy has direct relationship with the probability of obesity during childhood and adult ages. For instance, all such children were found prone to risks of obesity during ages of 3 – 33 years due to prenatal smoking of their mothers, whereas no association was found between non-smoking pregnant mothers and obesity. Nevertheless, the researchers also did not record any impact of “socio-demographic and behavioral differences between smokers and nonsmokers” on likelihood of obesity among children and young adults.

The rising trend of smoking among teen, unmarried / married mothers would have catastrophic consequences on society because obesity rates are forecasted to escalate. Research Hypothesis Maternal Smoking during pregnancy leads to all or some of the following infant health problems and diseases such as asthma, wheezing, low birth deliveries and obesity (in later stages of life). References Gilland, F. Yu-Fen LI, and John Peters (2000). Effects of Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and Environmental Tobacco Smoke on Asthma and Wheezing in Children American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 163, pp. 429-436 Oken, E., E. Levitan and MW Gillman (2008).

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and child overweight systematic review and Meta-Analysis International Journal of Obesity, Vol. 32(2), pp. 201–210 Veiga, Paula and Ronald Wilder (2006). Maternal smoking during pregnancy and birthweight – A propensity score matching approach University of Minho, Working Paper Series, No. 32 [Online] Available at http://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/4422/1/wp32.pdf [Accessed - January 31, 2011]