Related Experiment Videos
Maternal smoking habits and Down's syndrome.
H S Cuckle1, E Alberman, N J Wald
1Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London, U.K.
Prenatal Diagnosis
|September 1, 1990
Summary
This study found no evidence linking maternal smoking to an increased risk of fetal Down
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Maternal smoking is a known risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
- The association between maternal smoking and Down's syndrome requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between maternal smoking and the risk of fetal Down's syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Two series of pregnancies were studied.
- Smoking habits were assessed via self-report and serum cotinine levels.
- Down's syndrome cases were compared with controls for smoking prevalence.
Main Results:
- The first series (1960s) showed similar smoking rates between Down's syndrome cases and controls.
- The second series (1970s-1980s) indicated a lower, though not statistically significant, smoking rate in Down's syndrome cases.
- Collectively, no evidence supports an association between maternal smoking and Down's syndrome.
Conclusions:
- The study provides no evidence for an association between fetal Down's syndrome and maternal smoking.
- Discrepancies with other studies may be due to confounding factors like maternal age and publication bias.