[What are the short, mid, and long term consequences of smoking during pregnancy?]

A review of the literature shows that maternal or paternal smoking during pregnancy has many effects on the newborn, the infant, and even the adult exposed during intrauterine life. In the newborn, measurements at birth are lower than those observed in non-exposed newborns and the risk of preterm birth is increased. There is also a slightly increased risk of cleft lip or palate. Newborns exposed to smoking also suffer from altered vascular and pulmonary function and have a different neurological behavior. They react less well to stress. The risk of sudden infant death is significantly increased among exposed infants, especially if they sleep with their parents. The overall mortality of exposed infants is higher. Mid- and long-term consequences are more difficult to evaluate due to the very large number of confounding factors. There is however an association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and a slightly decreased cognitive level in childhood and adulthood. The risks of hyperactivity disorder with attentional deficit, behavioral disorders, delinquency, and childhood and adolescence smoking are increased as are the risks of obesity, respiratory disorders and infection. Conversely, there is no demonstrated link with childhood cancer.