Smoking and intrauterine growth retardation in Republic of Benin.

Use of tobacco by women in Africa is infrequent and mainly confined to cities. It involves cigarette smoking and chewing of tobacco. In Benin, a woman who smokes is considered to be of loose morals. Such social barriers to smoking are more prevalent in rural settings than in cities, but the extent of smoking is not well known. In the city of Cotonou, smoking is becoming increasingly popular and the prevalence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) remains high. The aim of this study aim is to determine the eVect of smoking on IUGR.