Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026
11:01
Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Published on: December 14, 2014
10.2K
Prenatal Cotinine Levels and ADHD Among Offspring
Andre Sourander1,2,3, Minna Sucksdorff4,5, Roshan Chudal4
1Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; andsou@utu.fi.
Pediatrics
|February 27, 2019
Summary
Maternal nicotine exposure during pregnancy, measured by cotinine levels, is linked to an increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring. This study confirms a dose-response relationship, highlighting the impact of prenatal nicotine exposure.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
- Genetics
Background:
- Previous research linked maternal smoking to offspring ADHD using self-reports.
- No studies had quantitatively measured nicotine exposure via cotinine levels in relation to offspring ADHD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal nicotine exposure during pregnancy, measured by serum cotinine levels, and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring.
Main Methods:
- A population-based study identified 1079 ADHD cases and 1079 matched controls born between 1998-1999 from Finnish nationwide registers.
- Maternal serum cotinine levels were quantified using immunoassays from samples collected during the first and second trimesters.
Main Results:
- A significant dose-response association was found between increasing maternal cotinine levels and offspring ADHD.
- Heavy nicotine exposure (cotinine >50 ng/mL) showed an adjusted odds ratio of 2.21 for ADHD.
- The highest decile of cotinine levels corresponded to an adjusted odds ratio of 3.34 for offspring ADHD.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal nicotine exposure demonstrates a significant association and a dose-response relationship with offspring ADHD.
- Further research is recommended to explore environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors alongside maternal smoking.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Leveling Effect
1.4K
In acid-base chemistry, the leveling effect refers to the limitation imposed by the solvent on the strength of acids and bases in solution. When a base stronger than the solvent's conjugate base is used, it deprotonates the solvent until the base is entirely consumed, making it ineffective against weaker acids. Conversely, an acid stronger than the solvent's conjugate acid protonates the solvent until the acid is depleted, rendering it ineffective against weaker bases. Essentially, the...
1.4K
01:19High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
693
Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
693
01:09Levels of Organization
140.4K
Biological organization is the classification of biological structures, ranging from atoms at the bottom of the hierarchy to the Earth's biosphere. Each level of the hierarchy represents an increase in complexity that builds upon the previous level.
Molecules Are Composed of Atoms, and Biomolecules Are Assembled from Molecules:
The most basic levels include atoms, molecules, and biomolecules. Atoms, the smallest unit of ordinary matter, are composed of a nucleus and electrons. Molecules...
Molecules Are Composed of Atoms, and Biomolecules Are Assembled from Molecules:
The most basic levels include atoms, molecules, and biomolecules. Atoms, the smallest unit of ordinary matter, are composed of a nucleus and electrons. Molecules...
140.4K
01:18Fermi Level
1.8K
The Fermi-Dirac function is represented by an S-shaped curve indicating the probability of an energy state being occupied by an electron at a given temperature. The Fermi level is the energy level at which there is a fifty percent chance of finding an electron, and it is positioned between the lower-energy valence band and the higher-energy conduction band.
At absolute zero temperature, electrons fill all energy states up to the Fermi level, leaving upper states empty. As the temperature rises,...
At absolute zero temperature, electrons fill all energy states up to the Fermi level, leaving upper states empty. As the temperature rises,...
1.8K
00:54Ratio Level of Measurement
21.2K
The way a set of data is measured is called its level of measurement. Correct statistical procedures depend on a researcher being familiar with levels of measurement. For analysis, data are classified into four levels of measurement—nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.
A set of data measured using the ratio scale takes care of the ratio problem and provides complete information. Ratio scale data are like interval scale data, except they have a zero point and ratios can be calculated....
A set of data measured using the ratio scale takes care of the ratio problem and provides complete information. Ratio scale data are like interval scale data, except they have a zero point and ratios can be calculated....
21.2K
01:26Introduction and Methods of Leveling
503
Leveling is a surveying procedure used to determine elevation differences between distant points. Elevation refers to the vertical distance above or below a reference datum, typically mean sea level (MSL). In the United States, elevations are often referenced to the mean sea level station at Father Point Rimouski along the St. Lawrence Seaway. To make the datum accessible, permanent markers are established throughout the region. These markers, called benchmarks, have known elevations. If the...
503