Association of Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy with Neurophysiological and ADHD-Related Outcomes in School-Aged Children

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 7;20(6):4716. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20064716.

Abstract

Data of a longitudinal cohort study were analyzed to investigate the association between prenatal tobacco exposure and electroencephalographical (EEG) power spectrum in healthy, school-aged children as well as its relationship with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms. Group comparisons (exposed, non-exposed) were performed to test whether prenatal tobacco exposure was associated with brain activity and ADHD symptoms, with adjustments made for covariates including child's sex, child's age, maternal age, maternal smoking habit before pregnancy, alcohol consumption during pregnancy, gestation age, and maternal psychopathology. Tobacco-exposed children showed higher brain activity in the delta and theta frequency bands. This effect was independent of the considered covariates. However, the effects on hyperactivity were found to significantly depend on maternal age and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, but not on the amount of exposure. In summary, smoking during pregnancy significantly affected the resting-state brain activity in children, independent of socio-demographic factors, indicating potential long-lasting effects on brain development. Its impact on ADHD-related behavior was shown to be influenced by socio-demographic confounding factors, such as maternal alcohol consumption and the age of the mother.

Keywords: ADHD; EEG; hyperactivity; maternal smoking; pregnancy; resting-state brain activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* / diagnosis
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects* / epidemiology
  • Smoking / adverse effects
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Tobacco Smoking
  • Vitamins

Substances

  • Vitamins

Grants and funding

The trial was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research Germany (BMBF 01GL1745F, subproject 6). With the public-funded research project IMAC-Mind: Improving Mental Health and Reducing Addiction in Childhood and Adolescence through Mindfulness: Mechanisms, Prevention and Treatment (2017–2021), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research contributes to improving the prevention and treatment of children and adolescents with substance use disorders and associated mental disorders. The project coordination was realized by the German Center of Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence at the University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf.