الفهرس 
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Abstract
Khat chewing during pregnancy can affect maternal health with a damaging effect on the baby’s health and wellbeing. In Yemen, studies dealing with pregnancy outcome among Khat chewer pregnant women are few. This study was conducted to clarify the impact of Khat chewing on maternal and fetal outcomes during pregnancy of Yemeni women.
This study was conducted as two designs; an observational cross-sectional study followed by a prospective comparative study. It was conducted in AL-Gamhouri Teaching Hospital in Taiz (Republic of Yemen) during the period from June 2010 to August 2011.
All the studied pregnant women were subjected after verbal consents to detailed clinical history, physical examination, routine laboratory investigations and ultrasound examination.
The cross sectional study enrolled 885 pregnant women, the frequency of Khat chewing among them was 44.5%. When compared to non-Khat chewer pregnant women, Khat chewer pregnant women were slightly older, with higher percentage of illiteracy, rural residence, and complaints during pregnancy such as constipation, decreased appetite, feeling depressed and hemorrhoids.
They showed higher percentage of ante-partum and post-partum complications such as urinary symptoms, abruptio placenta, malpresentation and preterm labor, lower hemoglobin with the need for blood transfusion and low lying placentas.
Delivered babies for Khat chewer pregnant women showed lower mean birth weight, higher percentage of early neonatal death and abnormal placentas with lower mean placental weight.
The comparative follow up study enrolled 60 regular Khat chewing pregnant women and 120 non-Khat chewing pregnant women, selected from those attended with singleton pregnancy in their first or second trimester from the ANC unit of AL-Gamhouri Teaching Hospital in Taiz (Republic of Yemen) during the same period.
Khat chewer pregnant women were having statistically significant risk of 6 times for preterm labor; 3.83 times for labor induction and statistically insignificant risk of 4.10 times for preeclamspia; 2.78 for blood transfusion and fetal distress; 2.05 for PROM; 2.03 for PPH and perineal tears; and 2.02 for IUFD. There is significant lower mean hemoglobin concentration at delivery when compared with the control.
Khat chewer pregnant women were having statistically significant risk of 6.56 times for breech presentation; 8.94 times to deliver fetuses with low birth weight (< 2500 gm); 6.0 times for neonatal admission to the ICU and statistically insignificant risk of 3.54 times for perinatal mortality and 2.02 times for congenital malformations.
This study concluded that Khat chewing is a widespread practice among pregnant Yemeni women, associated with a negative impact on maternal and fetal wellbeing and recommended a national educational programs in all mass media, illustrating the negative aspects of Khat chewing during pregnancy.