Smoking during pregnancy has been shown to be detrimental for the developing fetus. The effects of active and passive maternal smoking on umbilical cord serum levels of vitamin A and vitamin E were examined. Secondary measures included anthropometric parameters in the newborn. Maternal and umbilical cord serum levels of vitamins A and E were measured at delivery. The mothers were assigned to three groups: non-smoking (n 12); passive smoking (n 13); active smoking (n 18). Based on multivariate linear regressions, active smoking during pregnancy was associated with increased umbilical cord serum levels of vitamin A and vitamin E. While enhanced circulating levels of vitamin A in cord blood were also found in non-smoking mothers exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy, those of vitamin E were not influenced. Further, an inverse association between smoking behaviour during pregnancy and birth length was observed, with shortest length in active smokers followed by passive smoking mothers. Active and passive maternal smoking behaviour during pregnancy increases the fetal demand for antioxidant compounds in order to counteract the oxidative burden by cigarette smoke. Against this background, the observed increase in umbilical cord serum levels of vitamins A and E may subserve antioxidative processes in response to tobacco smoke-induced oxidative stress. This would reduce the availability of vitamins A and E for fetal maturation, which is critical inasmuch as both compounds are indispensable for the developing fetus. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of our observation, this line of reasoning definitely requires validation in cause -effect experiments in the future.

Smoking is one of the risk factors in the disturbance development in the "mother-placenta-fetus" system which serves as one of the major preventable factors of pregnancy unsuccessful outcome for both mother and fetus. In order to identify characteristics of hemodynamic status of "mother-placenta-fetus" system in smoking pregnant women the analysis of physiological indicators of Doppler ultrasound had been done by means of the of uteroplacental, fetoplacental and fetal blood flow assessment. The study included 120 pregnant women of Northern Medical Clinical Center named after N. A. Semashko of Russian Federal Medical and Biological Agency at 30-34 weeks' gestation period (group of smokers - 80 people and non-smokers - 40 people); 85.0% of pregnant smokers have a slight degree of nicotine dependence, 5.0% - a moderate, and 10.0% - strong according to Fagerstrem's test; smoking history was 10,6 ± 3,9 years. Changes in the feto-placental blood flow predominate in the group of the pregnant smoking women. It is indicated by the systolic-diastolic ratio and resistance index, reflecting the kind of "brain protection effect of the fetus" and occurred in Doppler signs of increased blood flow in the middle cerebral fetal artery, against decrease of blood flow in the umbilical artery. The necessity is justified to spend additional Doppler study of utero-placental, feto-placental and fetal blood flow to identify compensatory changes in placenta blood vessels, umbilical cord and forecasting the development of hypoxia in the fetus of vascular origin, during the third ultrasound screening of smoking pregnant women.

Until now, national percentiles and curves for twins based on population registry data have not been published. It complicates the diagnosis of fetal growth retardation. In the article, the algorithms of birth weight, length and head circumference percentiles and curves for twins born alive at gestational age 32-40 weeks are described. We used data from the population-based Murmansk County Birth Registry (2006-2011) and the Arkhangelsk County Birth Registry (2012-2014), Russian Federation. Data on 1 567, 1 631 и 1 628 newborns were used to create birth weight, length and head circumference percentiles, respectively. Gestational-specific curves present data on 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles. Mean birth weight and head circumference in males were higher compared to corresponding parameters in females at any gestational age. At 32 weeks of pregnancy mean birth length in females was higher compared to length in males. In our current study, the database was comprehensive enough to be representative for the population. Conclusively, the results of the study will be valuable for clinical practice across other regions of the Russian federation.

Birth weight, length and head assessment are important for postnatal confirmation of fetal growth retardation. In Russia, there has so far not been sex-specific, population-based birth weight, length and head circumference percentiles and curves for singleton newborns. The aim of this study was to develop percentiles and curves for live-born newborns born at 28-42 weeks of gestation and compare these to other available data from the literature. Data of the Arkhangelsk County Birth Registry (2012-2014), Russia, were used. In total, we included 42116 live-born newborns by both sex without congenital malformation that could potentially influence on the results of anthropometry at birth. Sex-specific birth weight, length and head circumference percentiles and curves were created between 28 and 42 weeks of gestation. Data on mean and standard deviation for each week of gestation both for male and female newborns are also presented. As we used data from a comprehensive, population-based birth registry, percentiles and curves in our study are representative also for other regions of Russia.