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Published on: August 7, 2017

The impact of pre- and post-natal smoke exposure on future asthma and bronchial hyper-responsiveness

Emma Goksör1, Mainor Amark, Bernt Alm

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Göteborg University, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|May 15, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Exposure to smoke before and after birth significantly increases the risk of asthma in early adulthood. Prenatal smoke exposure may lead to bronchial hyper-responsiveness, while postnatal exposure is linked to adult smoking and subsequent asthma.

Area of Science:

  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Childhood wheezing is a common issue with potential long-term respiratory consequences.
  • Prenatal and postnatal smoke exposure are recognized environmental risk factors for respiratory diseases.
  • Understanding the long-term impact of early life smoke exposure is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term effects of prenatal and postnatal smoke exposure on asthma development.
  • To assess the impact of early smoke exposure on bronchial hyper-responsiveness and airway function in early adulthood.
  • To determine the association between early smoke exposure and active smoking in later life.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 101 children hospitalized for wheezing before age 2.
  • Re-evaluation at ages 17-20 years, including tests for airway function and bronchial hyper-responsiveness.
  • Utilized Swedish Medical Birth Register data for maternal smoking during pregnancy.

Main Results:

  • Both pre- and postnatal smoke exposure independently correlated with asthma at age 17-20 years (OR 3.5 and 3.4, respectively).
  • Maternal smoking during pregnancy was a significant risk factor for bronchial hyper-responsiveness (OR 6.6).
  • Prenatal smoke exposure appeared to impair small airway function, and postnatal exposure increased the risk of current smoking (OR 7.4).

Conclusions:

  • Early life (prenatal and postnatal) smoke exposure elevates the risk of adult asthma.
  • Prenatal smoke exposure's link to asthma may be mediated by bronchial hyper-responsiveness.
  • Infant smoke exposure increases the likelihood of adult smoking, which is subsequently associated with asthma.
Abstract

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