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Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with a variety of adverse neonatal outcomes including altered reproductive performance. Herein we provide molecular evidence for a pathway involved in the elimination of the female germline due to prepregnancy and/or lactational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), environmental toxicants found in cigarette smoke. We show that ovaries of offspring born to mice exposed to PAHs contained only a third of the ovarian follicle pool compared with offspring of unexposed female mice. Activation of the cell death pathway in immature follicles of exposed females was mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), as ovarian reserve was fully rescued by maternal cotreatment with the Ahr antagonist, resveratrol, or by inactivation of the Ahr gene. Furthermore, in response to PAHs, Ahr-mediated activation of the harakiri, BCL2 interacting protein (contains only BH3 domain), was necessary for execution of cell death. This pathway appeared to be conserved between mouse and human, as xenotransplanted human ovarian cortex exposed to PAHs responded by activation of the identical cell death cascade. Our data indicate that maternal exposure to PAHs prior to pregnancy and/or during lactation compromises ovarian reserve of female offspring, raising the concern about the transgenerational impact of maternal smoking on ovarian function in the human., Introduction Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are released into the environment in high quantities as a result of the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as wood, coal and petrochemical products. [...]

BACKGROUND. Numerous studies have reported that maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy is related to lower IQ scores in the offspring. Confounding is a crucial issue in interpreting this association. METHODS. In the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, IQ was ascertained serially during childhood using the Peabody Individual Achievement Test, the total score for which comprises results on 3 subtests: mathematics, reading comprehension, and reading recognition. Maternal IQ was assessed by using the Armed Forces Qualification Test. There were 5578 offspring (born to 3145 mothers) with complete information for maternal smoking habits, total Peabody Individual Achievement Test score, and covariates. RESULTS. The offspring of mothers who smoked [greater than or equal to] 1 pack of cigarettes per day during pregnancy had an IQ score (Peabody Individual Achievement Test total) that was, on average, 2.87 points lower than children born to nonsmoking mothers. Separate control for maternal education (0.27-IQ-point decrement) and, to a lesser degree, maternal IQ (1.51-IQ-point decrement) led to marked attenuation of the maternal-smoking-offspring-IQ relation. A similar pattern of results was seen when Peabody Individual Achievement Test subtest results were the outcomes of interest. The only exception was the Peabody Individual Achievement Test mathematics score, in which adjusting for maternal IQ essentially led to complete attenuation of the maternal-smoking-offspring-IQ gradient (0.66-IQ-point decrement). The impact of controlling for physical, behavioral, and other social indices was much less pronounced than for maternal education or IQ. CONCLUSIONS. These findings suggest that previous studies that did not adjust for maternal education and/or IQ may have overestimated the association of maternal smoking with offspring cognitive ability. Key Words smoking, pregnancy, IQ, cohort study Abbreviations NLSY79--US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 PIAT--Peabody Individual Achievement Test, FIRST DESCRIBED >3 decades ago, (1) an inverse association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring intelligence (denoted here as IQ) has been reported in cohorts drawn from Finland, (2) [...]

Objective. Maternal smoking during pregnancy may increase the risk for behavioral disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between smoking during pregnancy and hyperkinetic and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the offspring in a large population-based study. Methods. This study was designed as a nested case-control study. Data were obtained from Danish longitudinal registers and included 170 children with hyperkinetic disorder and 3765 population-based control subjects, who were matched by age, gender, and date of birth. Potential confounders, including newborn characteristics, socioeconomic status, and family history of psychiatric illnesses, were evaluated by conditional logistic regression analyses. Results. Women who smoked during pregnancy had a 3-fold increased risk for having offspring with hyperkinetic disorder compared with nonsmokers. Socioeconomic factors and history of mental disorder in the parents or siblings seemed to confound the result to some extent (adjusted relative risk: 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.3-2.8). Adjustment for parental age or exclusion of children with low birth weight ( Conclusions. Our results showed an increased risk for hyperkinetic disorder in children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy. This could not be explained by newborn characteristics, parental socioeconomic status, family history of psychiatric hospitalizations or contact as outpatients, conduct disorders, or comorbidity. Pediatrics 2005;116:462-467; smoking, pregnancy, intrauterine, hyperkinetic disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ABBREVIATIONS. ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; ICD-10, International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision; IDA, Integrated Database for Labour Market Research; RR, relative risk; CI, confidence interval., More knowledge of the risk factors for hyperkinetic disorder and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may help in the understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and focusing public health prevention programs. In [...]

A study is conducted to determine whether maternal smoking has a genotoxic effect on amniotic cells, expressed as an increased chromosomal instability, and to analyze whether any chromosomal regions are especially affected by exposure to tobacco. The study concluded that smoking 10 or more cigarettes per day for at least 10 years and during pregnancy is associated with increased chromosomal instability in amniocytes.

Children's exposure to tobacco constituents during fetal development and via environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is perhaps the most ubiquitous and hazardous of children's environmental exposures. A large literature links both prenatal maternal smoking and children's ETS exposure to decreased lung growth and increased rates of respiratory tract infections, otitis media, and childhood asthma, with the severity of these problems increasing with increased exposure. Sudden infant death syndrome, behavioral problems, neurocognitive decrements, and increased rates of adolescent smoking also are associated with such exposures. Studies of each of these problems suggest independent effects of both pre- and postnatal exposure for each, with the respiratory risk associated with parental smoking seeming to be greatest during fetal development and the first several years of life. Pediatrics 2004;113:1007-1015; environmental tobacco smoke, children, prenatal, otitis media, asthma, SIDS., The effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy on children's birth weight has been recognized since 1957, (1) and the first report concerning the adverse effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) [...]

The infant birth weight can be predicted based on the parameters such as prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain and smoking in pregnant women. The statistical analysis of the data collected from a study of 233 mother-infant pairs shows that lower infant birth rate can be predicted by weight gain and smoking levels.

The infant birth weight can be predicted based on the parameters such as prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain and smoking in pregnant women. The statistical analysis of the data collected from a study of 233 mother-infant pairs shows that lower infant birth rate can be predicted by weight gain and smoking levels

The maternal smoking during pregnancy, which is a potential hazard for conduct disorder, (CD) is investigated focusing on overt and covert CD symptoms and the effects of gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on the condition. There is a significant association of prenatal exposure to smoking and SES and gender did not significantly modify relationship between maternal smoking and CD symptoms.

The association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring height and its components is examined. It is concluded that maternal smoking at any time during pregnancy reduces offspring height and its components, particularly, leg length and leg-to-trunk ratio at age 7.5.

Thirty-four healthy maternal and fetal pairs of 24 nonsmokers and 10 smokers participated in a longitudinal growth study from the thirteenth week of pregnancy to document fetal kidney and heart growth trajectories and morphology. The results suggest that cell-level adaptive responses to hypoxia and chemical insults are operative and illustrate the importance of longitudinal ultrasound to directly assess the organ-level growth response of the human fetus to a prenatal stress, in lieu of birth outcome measures.

A study was conducted to assess pregnant Lebanese women's knowledge and attitude towards the chemical contents and related harmful effects of argileh (water pipe or hubble-bubble) and cigarettes, and the associations between these factors and smoking practice. Results show that a significant and growing percentage of pregnant Lebanese women smoke, and their smoking behaviors were empirically linked with important gaps in knowledge and permissive attitudes.

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with low birth rate, pretern delivery, stillbirth, high rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and low birth weight, behavior problems and learning difficulties. Results indicate that the main effects were decreased liking of smoking across time and across all groups, with an overall less liking in those who quit and this less liking did not differ across pregnancy status.

The effect of maternal smoking on the growth pattern of the fetus during its growing stages is analyzed. This study conducted on 87 smokers and 279 nonsmokers shows that smoke exposure alters the growth rate of individual body segments at variable developmental stages as the fetus experiences selective growth restriction and augmentation.

Background. Infants' healthy growth and development are predicated, in part, on regular functioning of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the first 6 months of life, infants typically double their birth weights. During this period of intense growth, the GI tract needs to be highly active and to function optimally. Identifying modifiable causes of GI tract dysregulation is important for understanding the pathophysiologic processes of such dysregulation, for identifying effective and efficient interventions, and for developing early prevention and health promotion strategies. One such modifiable cause seems to be maternal smoking, both during and after pregnancy. Purpose. This article brings together information that strongly suggests that infants' exposure to tobacco smoke is linked to elevated blood motilin levels, which in turn are linked to an increased risk of GI dysregulation, including colic and acid reflux. We base this hypothesis on evidence supporting a link between maternal smoking and infantile colic (IC) and on additional evidence proposing increased motilin release, attributable to exposure to tobacco smoke and its metabolites, as a physiologic mechanism linking maternal smoking with infantile GI dysregulation. Methods. We critically review and synthesize epidemiologic, physiologic, and biological evidence pertaining to smoking and colic, smoking and motilin levels, and motilin and colic. Results. Six studies have investigated the link between maternal smoking and IC, but IC was defined according to Wessel's rule of threes (crying for [greater than or equal to] 3 hours per day, [greater than or equal to] 3 days per week, for [greater than or equal to] 3 weeks) in only 1 of these studies. The remaining studies used definitions that ranged from less-stringent variations of Wessel's criteria to definitions that would suggest excessive crying but not necessarily colic. Results from 5 of these studies suggest that there is an independent association between maternal smoking and excessive crying, as well as IC. Recent studies of the GI system provide strong, but indirect, corroborating evidence suggesting physiologic pathways through which maternal smoking can be linked to IC. This physiologic evidence can be outlined as follows: (1) smoking is linked to increased plasma and intestinal motilin levels and (2) higher-than-average levels of motilin are linked to elevated risks of IC. Although these findings from disparate fields suggest a physiologic mechanism linking maternal smoking with IC, the entire chain of events has not been examined in a single cohort. A prospective study, begun in pregnancy and continuing through the first 4 months of life, could provide definitive evidence linking these disparate lines of research. Key points for such a study are considered. Conclusions. New epidemiologic evidence suggests that exposure to cigarette smoke and its metabolites may be linked to IC. Moreover, studies of the GI system provide corroborating evidence that suggests that (1) smoking is linked to increased plasma and intestinal motilin levels and (2) higher-than-average intestinal motilin levels are linked to elevated risks of IC. In the United States, nearly one-half of all women smokers continue to smoke during their pregnancies. This amounts to ~12% of all women who give birth. Moreover, it is estimated that 50% to 80% of employed adults have regular exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and that >30% of nonsmokers live with smokers. If, as we suspect, exposure to cigarette smoke increases the risk of colic, then this would provide additional incentives to parents to abstain from smoking. Decreased exposure to tobacco smoke can be expected to provide widespread and long-term health benefits to maternal and child populations. Pediatrics 2004;114:e497--e505. URL: http://www. pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/114/4/e497; colic, smoking, smoking during pregnancy, motilin, GI dysfunction, maternal and child health.

Background: Smoking during pregnancy is an important cause of low birthweight. (1) It is thought to cause childhood asthma and contributes to adult diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 [...]