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Published on: August 25, 2014
Maternal smoking during pregnancy and regional brain volumes in preterm infants
Mikael Ekblad1, Jyrki Korkeila, Riitta Parkkola
1Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 4-8, 20520 Turku, Finland. moekbl@utu.fi
Insights
Maternal smoking during pregnancy is linked to smaller frontal lobe and cerebellar brain volumes in preterm infants. This prenatal smoking exposure did not affect head growth or cause structural brain disease.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neuroscience
- Developmental pediatrics
- Prenatal health
Background:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a significant risk factor for adverse infant outcomes.
- Understanding the neurodevelopmental impact of prenatal smoke exposure is crucial for preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and brain development in very-low-birth-weight/very-low-gestational-age infants.
- To assess the impact of prenatal smoke exposure on specific brain volumes and head circumference.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up study (PIPARI Study) of 232 infants with birth weight ≤1500 g or gestational age <32 weeks.
- Serial brain ultrasounds and term-age magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for brain volumetry.
- Head circumference measured at birth, term, and 2 years corrected age; correlated with maternal smoking reports.
Main Results:
- Maternal smoking prevalence was 18%.
- Infants exposed to prenatal smoking had significantly smaller frontal lobe (P = .01) and cerebellar (P = .03) volumes.
- No significant association found between prenatal smoking and head growth or structural brain disease.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal smoking exposure is associated with reduced frontal lobe and cerebellar volumes in preterm infants.
- Findings suggest potential impacts on functions regulated by these brain regions, such as emotion, impulse control, and attention.
Objective:
To evaluate the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and both brain volumes and head circumference in very-low-birth-weight/very-low-gestational-age infants.
Study Design:
The PIPARI Study is a prospective follow-up study of infants with a birth weight < or =1500 g or a gestational age <32 weeks born in 2001 to 2006 (n = 232) at Turku University Hospital. The brain was imaged by serial brain ultrasound examinations until discharge and magnetic resonance imaging at term age. The head circumference was measured at birth, term, and 2 years corrected age. These measures were correlated to maternal smoking during pregnancy as reported by the mothers.
Results:
The prevalence of maternal smoking was 18%. The frontal lobe (P = .01) and the cerebellar (P = .03) volumes were significantly smaller in the exposed than in the unexposed infants. The volumes of the other parts of the brain did not differ. There was no association between prenatal smoking exposure and head growth or structural brain disease.
Conclusions:
Prenatal smoking exposure was associated with significantly smaller frontal lobe and cerebellar volumes in the brains of preterm infants. This is consistent with reports showing an association between prenatal smoking exposure and impairments in frontal lobe and cerebellar functions such as emotion, impulse control, and attention.
