article · Asian Journal of Medicine and Health
This hospital-based study evaluated whether maternal exposure to carbon monoxide influences key neonatal outcomes. Conducted with 240 pregnant women in Port Harcourt, maternal carbon monoxide levels were captured using a Smokerlyzer device, whilst infant birth weights and Apgar scores at one and five minutes were recorded at delivery. Overall, the recorded maternal carbon monoxide levels were low across the cohort. Statistical analyses revealed that these exposure levels were not significantly correlated with infant birth weight or Apgar scores, and regression analysis confirmed the lack of a significant association with birth weight. Within the narrow, low exposure range observed in this population, maternal carbon monoxide exposure was not linked to adverse neonatal health outcomes.
Understanding how environmental factors affect infant health is crucial for maternal and child healthcare. Identifying that low maternal carbon monoxide exposure does not correlate with reduced birth weight or poor Apgar scores helps clarify environmental risk profiles, providing healthcare practitioners and public health authorities with baseline observational data to better contextualise air quality concerns during pregnancy.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, as it reports an early-stage observational health study demonstrating no significant association between low exposure levels and the measured clinical outcomes.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Background: Neonatal outcomes, such as birth weight and Apgar scores, are key indicators of intrauterine health and immediate postnatal adaptation. Several maternal and obstetric factors influence these outcomes; however, the role of environmental exposures, such as carbon monoxide (CO), remains insufficiently characterised. Aim: This study aimed to explore the association between maternal carbon monoxide exposure and neonatal outcomes. Methodology: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 240 pregnant women at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, between 2024 and 2025. Using consecutive sampling, maternal carbon monoxide exposure was measured with a Smokerlyzer® device, and neonatal outcomes, including birth weight and Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, were recorded at delivery. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean maternal CO level was low across the study population. Maternal CO was not significantly correlated with birth weight (p = 0.140) or Apgar scores (p > 0.05), and it was not significantly associated with birth weight in the regression analysis (p = 0.097). Conclusion: Maternal carbon monoxide exposure at the levels observed was not associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. This study was unable to detect effects within the narrow exposure range.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.9734/ajmah/2026/v24i91423
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
