It is hypothesized that pregnant women who smoke during pregnancy will have a greater incidence of abnormal uterine, umbilical and fetal cerebral blood flow velocity waveforms; evidence of vascular injury in the placental and umbilical vessel; and altered levels of vasoactive substances when compared to women who do not smoke during pregnancy. To date, approximately one third of the proposed sample of pregnant women (smoking and nonsmoking) has been recruited and studied. Over the next three years, the balance of the study participants will be enrolled, providing an adequate sample size to determine if the preliminary correlation between smoking and decreased birthweight, without relation to gestational age, and the indication that dopamine is a significant vasoactive mediator of birthweight, are indeed correct.
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