Abstract
WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC? Passive smoking during pregnancy, which is prevalent in China, has been reported to be associated with an increased risk for neural tube defects (NTDs) in five counties of Shanxi Province in northern China. WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT? After 4 years since the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in China, 59.4% of mothers of NTDs cases and 29.4% of mothers of healthy controls reported passive smoking during the periconceptional period. The association between periconceptional passive smoking and an increased risk for NTDs remains in the study population. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE? It's urgent to take measures to prevent passive smoking among pregnant women to minimize the harmful effects on offspring.