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Prenatal exposure to tobacco: I. Effects on physical growth at age three
1Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201.
Insights
Maternal smoking during pregnancy is linked to lower child height and weight at three years. Quitting smoking improves outcomes, but early fetal growth deficits may persist.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Prenatal Smoking Effects
- Child Development
Background:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a significant public health concern.
- Smoking is associated with adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth.
- Long-term effects of prenatal smoke exposure on child anthropometry require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of maternal smoking cessation during pregnancy on child height and weight at three years of age.
- To determine if observed anthropometric differences persist after accounting for maternal postpartum smoking status.
- To explore the relationship between prenatal smoking, birth size, gestational length, and later child development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study assessing 714 children at three years of age.
- Data collected on maternal smoking habits (pre-pregnancy, during, and postpartum).
- Statistical adjustments made for maternal smoking status, birth size, and gestational length.
Main Results:
- Children born to mothers who quit smoking during pregnancy were taller and heavier than those whose mothers continued smoking.
- Adjusting for postpartum smoking reduced weight differences but minimally impacted height differences.
- Differences in height and weight at three years were substantially reduced when adjusted for birth size and gestation length.
Conclusions:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy leads to anthropometric deficits in children that may extend beyond the neonatal period.
- Observed deficits at three years appear to be linked to fetal growth impairments rather than solely postnatal factors.
- Early intervention to reduce prenatal smoking is crucial for optimizing child growth and development.
Abstract:
The height and weight of 714 children whose mothers smoked at the beginning of their pregnancies were assessed at three years of age. The children of women who quit smoking during pregnancy were taller and heavier than those of women who continued to smoke throughout pregnancy. Adjustment for maternal postpartum smoking status reduced the difference in weight, but had little effect on height. The differences in both height and weight at three years of age were greatly reduced when adjusted for size at birth and length of gestation. These results suggest that deficits associated with maternal smoking are not overcome by three years of age and that at least some of the observed anthropometric deficits may be extensions of deficits in fetal growth.