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Maternal smoking during pregnancy: a risk factor for early childhood ophthalmologic conditions

Ido Ashbell1, Tomer Kerman2,3, Nir Amitai4,2

  • 1Joyce & Irving Goldman Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel idoashbell@gmail.com.

The British Journal of Ophthalmology
|June 25, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of early childhood eye conditions like strabismus and infections. First-trimester exposure poses the highest risk, underscoring the need for smoking cessation during pregnancy for infant visual health.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a known risk factor for adverse birth outcomes.
  • The specific impact on early childhood ophthalmologic conditions requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the risk of developing ophthalmologic conditions in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 50,778 infants born between 2014-2020 in Israel.
  • Maternal smoking status was categorized by trimester of exposure, and infants were followed for 3 years.
  • Ophthalmologic diagnoses were identified using ICD-9 codes and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • Maternal smoking exposure was linked to an increased risk of any ophthalmic condition (aOR 1.15), strabismus (aOR 1.34), and inflammatory/infectious diseases (aOR 1.13).
  • First-trimester exposure showed stronger associations with ophthalmic conditions and strabismus.
  • Exposure throughout pregnancy demonstrated the highest risks for ophthalmic conditions (aOR 1.75), congenital anomalies (aOR 1.85), and inflammatory/infectious diseases (aOR 1.81).

Conclusions:

  • Maternal smoking during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, is associated with a higher risk of various early childhood ophthalmologic conditions.
  • These findings emphasize the critical importance of smoking cessation during pregnancy to protect children's visual health.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child health (paediatrics)EpidemiologyPublic healthRisk Factors

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