Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of wheeze and asthma in preschool children

August 17, 2012 in Health

Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with wheeze and asthma inpreschool children, even among children who were not exposed to maternal smoking late inpregnancy or after birth, according to a new study.

" suggests that exposure to during fetal andearly life increases the risk of childhood wheezing and , but earlier studieswere not able to differentiate the effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure," said lead author Åsa Neuman. MD, of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the KarolinskaInstitutet in Stockholm, Sweden. "Our study, a large pooled analysis of eight birth cohorts with data on more than 21,000 , included 735 children who were exposed to maternal smoking only during pregnancy."

"These childrenwere at increased risk for and asthma at preschool age. Furthermore, the likelihood of developing wheeze and asthma increased in a significant dose-response pattern in relation to maternal cigarette consumption during the first trimester."

The findings were published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The eight European birth cohorts included in the study included a total of 21,600 children. Exposure information and information on symptoms of wheeze and asthma were derived from parental questionnaires.

In analyses adjusted for sex, parental education, parental asthma, birth weight and siblings, maternal smoking only during pregnancy was associated with increased risks for wheeze (odd ratio 1.39, 95 % CI 1.08-1.77) and asthma (odds ratio 1.65, 1.18-2.31) at age four to six years. Moreover, maternal smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy, but not during the third trimester or the first year following birth, was associated with increased risks for subsequent wheeze and asthma.

"These results indicate that the harmful effects of maternal smoking on the fetal respiratory system begin early in , perhaps before the women is even aware that she is pregnant," said Dr. Neuman.

The study has some limitations, including the use of parental questionnaires to obtain exposure and outcome information.

"Our large pooled analysis confirms that maternal , particularly duringthe first trimester, is associated with a greater risk of offspring developing wheeze and asthma when they reach preschool age," concluded Dr. Neuman. "Teens and young women should be encouraged to quit smoking before getting pregnant."

Journal reference: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine search and more info website

Provided by American Thoracic Society search and more info website

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Bed sharing with parents increases risk of cot death fivefold

Bed sharing with parents is linked to a fivefold increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), even when the parents are non-smokers and the mother has not been drinking alcohol and does not use illegal drugs, according ...

Health created 10 hours ago | popularity 1.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Sports seem OK for many with heart-zapping device

Doctors tell people with a heart-zapping device in their chests to give up intense sports like basketball and soccer in favor of golf or bowling. But lots of patients ignore that advice—and now new research is challenging ...

Health created 10 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Gym class reduces probability of obesity, study finds for first time

Little is known about the effect of physical education (PE) on child weight, but a new study from Cornell University finds that increasing the amount of time that elementary schoolchildren spent in gym class reduces the probability ...

Health created 12 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Prenatal exposure to traffic is associated with respiratory infection in young children

Living near a major roadway during the prenatal period is associated with an increased risk of respiratory infection developing in children by the age of 3, according to a new study from researchers in Boston.

Health created 14 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Combined wood and tobacco smoke exposure increases risk and symptoms of COPD

People who are consistently exposed to both wood smoke and tobacco smoke are at a greater risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and for experiencing more frequent and severe symptoms of the disease, ...

Health created 14 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Genetic predictors of postpartum depression uncovered

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered specific chemical alterations in two genes that, when present during pregnancy, reliably predict whether a woman will develop postpartum depression.

Child maltreatment increases risk of adult obesity

Children who have suffered maltreatment are 36% more likely to be obese in adulthood compared to non-maltreated children, according to a new study by King's College London. The authors estimate that the prevention or effective ...

After a decade, global AIDS program looks ahead

(AP)—The decade-old law that transformed the battle against HIV and AIDS in developing countries is at a crossroads. The dream of future generations freed from the epidemic is running up against an era ...

New immune system discovered

(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.

The compound in the Mediterranean diet that makes cancer cells 'mortal'

New research suggests that a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet takes away cancer cells' "superpower" to escape death. By altering a very specific step in gene regulation, this compound essentially re-educates cancer ...

Early-life traffic-related air pollution exposure linked to hyperactivity

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital ...