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Published on: August 25, 2014
Handedness and maternal smoking during pregnancy.
1Psychology Department, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
The International Journal of Neuroscience
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Maternal smoking during pregnancy is linked to nonright-handedness (NRH) in offspring. This study found a significant leftward shift in handedness distribution and more pregnancy and birth complications (PBCs) in children whose mothers smoked.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Nonright-handedness (NRH) is potentially linked to fetal hypoxia and pregnancy and birth complications (PBCs).
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a known cause of prenatal hypoxia, potentially impacting fetal development and leading to PBCs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that maternal smoking during pregnancy shifts offspring handedness towards nonright-handedness.
- To examine the association between maternal smoking, offspring handedness, and PBCs.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study analyzing handedness distribution in university students.
- Data collected on maternal smoking habits, offspring handedness, and reported PBCs for 803 participants.
Main Results:
- A significant leftward shift in handedness scores was observed in offspring of mothers who smoked during pregnancy compared to non-smokers.
- Offspring of smoking mothers reported a significantly higher incidence of PBCs.
Conclusions:
- Results support the hypothesis that maternal smoking contributes to NRH in offspring.
- Findings suggest a link between prenatal hypoxia from smoking, altered neurodevelopment, and nonright-handedness.
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