Impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy on microvasculature in childhood. The Generation R Study
Olta Gishti1, Vincent W V Jaddoe1, Janine F Felix2
1Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Maternal smoking during pregnancy did not affect children's retinal vessel size. This suggests other factors, not microvasculature changes, may link prenatal smoke exposure to later cardiovascular risks.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular epidemiology
- Developmental origins of health and disease
Background:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is linked to cardiovascular risks later in life.
- Early microvasculature adaptations may explain these associations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy on children's retinal vessel calibers.
Main Methods:
- Population-based prospective cohort study of 3564 school-age children.
- Maternal smoking assessed via questionnaires.
- Retinal vessel calibers measured from retinal photographs at a median age of 6.0 years.
Main Results:
- No differences in retinal arteriolar and venular calibers were found between children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy and those who did not.
- No dose-dependent relationship was observed between the number of cigarettes smoked and childhood retinal vessel calibers.
Conclusions:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy does not appear to influence childhood retinal vessel calibers.
- Mechanisms linking fetal smoke exposure to adult cardiovascular risk likely involve factors other than structural microvasculature adaptations.
Background:
Fetal exposure to maternal smoking is associated with an adverse cardiovascular risk profile in later life. Early microvasculature adaptations might be part of the underlying mechanisms for these associations.
Aims:
The aim of this study was to examine the influence of maternal smoking during pregnancy on retinal vessel calibers in children.
Study Design:
We performed a population-based prospective cohort study among 3564 school-age children. Maternal smoking patterns during pregnancy were assessed by questionnaires.
Outcome Measures:
At the median age of 6.0 years (95% range 5.8, 8.0 years), we measured childhood retinal vessel calibers from retinal photographs.
Results:
No differences were observed in childhood retinal arteriolar and venular calibers among offspring from mothers who smoked in the first trimester and mothers who continued smoking throughout pregnancy, as compared to mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy. Also, no dose-dependent associations of the number of cigarettes smoked during pregnancy with childhood retinal vessel calibers were present.
Conclusion:
Maternal smoking during pregnancy did not influence childhood retinal arteriolar and venular calibers. The mechanisms linking fetal smoke exposure with cardiovascular risk factors in later life may include other mechanisms than structural microvasculature adaptations.
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