Effect of Maternal Smoking on Stress Physiology in Healthy Neonates

Overview

Journal J Perinatol

Specialty Gynecology & Obstetrics

Date 2017 Nov 10

PMID 29120451

Citations 5

Authors

C Haslinger

H Bamert

M Rauh

T Burkhardt

L Schaffer

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) on the neonatal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Study Design: In a prospective observational study, salivary cortisol and cortisone levels were measured at the fourth day of life during resting conditions and in response to a pain-induced stress event in healthy neonates whose mothers smoked cigarettes during each stage of pregnancy and compared with controls.

Results: Neonates in the control group (n=70) exhibited a physiologic stress response with a significant increase in cortisol (1.3 to 2.1 ng ml; P<0.05) and cortisone (11.8 to 17.8 ng ml; P<0.05) from baseline levels, whereas in neonates from mothers who smoked (n=33), cortisol (0.9 to 0.8 ng ml; P=0.77) and cortisone (11.5 to 13.0; P=0.19) stress response was not significantly different from baseline levels. A two-way analysis of variance confirmed these findings in both groups.

Conclusions: Healthy neonates whose mothers smoked during pregnancy show a blunted stress response on the fourth day of life. Thus, MSDP leads to a dysregulation of the HPA axis with continued effects in neonatal life. This might explain long-term consequences of MSDP such as overweight, diabetes mellitus and modification of blood pressure control mechanisms in adult life.

Citing Articles

Why Female Smokers Have Poorer Long-Term Health Outcomes than Male Smokers: The Role of Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy.

Yang L, Zhou Y, Jiang M, Wen W, Guo Y, Pakhale S Public Health Rev. 2024; 45:1605579.

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Neonatal Methylation and In-Utero Exposure to Maternal Smoking.

Nidey N, Bowers K, Ding L, Ji H, Ammerman R, Yolton K Toxics. 2023; 11(10).

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DNA methylome perturbations: an epigenetic basis for the emergingly heritable neurodevelopmental abnormalities associated with maternal smoking and maternal nicotine exposure†.

Buck J, Yu L, Knopik V, Stitzel J Biol Reprod. 2021; 105(3):644-666.

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Prenatal tobacco and marijuana co-use: Sex-specific influences on infant cortisol stress response.

Stroud L, Papandonatos G, Jao N, Vergara-Lopez C, Huestis M, Salisbury A Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2020; 79:106882.

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Concurrent prenatal drinking and smoking increases risk for SIDS: Safe Passage Study report.

Elliott A, Kinney H, Haynes R, Dempers J, Wright C, Fifer W EClinicalMedicine. 2020; 19:100247.

PMID: 32140668 PMC: 7046523. DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.100247.

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