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MATERNAL SMOKING AND OFFSPRING TRAJECTORIES

Thursday, 15th of March 2012

[source]http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/03/08/ije.dys025.full[|source]

 'Maternal smoking during pregnancy has an intrauterine effect on birth length, and possibly on adiposity at birth and changes in height and adiposity in infancy.'

• MATERNAL SMOKING AND OFFSPRING TRAJECTORIES

International Journal of Epidemiologyije.oxfordjournals.org

1. Int. J. Epidemiol. (2012) doi: 10.1093/ije/dys025 First published online: March 9, 2012

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring trajectories of height and adiposity: comparing maternal and paternal associations

1. 1.   Laura D Howe¹,^*, Alicia Matijasevich², Kate Tilling³, Marie-Jo Brion¹, Sam D Leary⁴,

George Davey Smith¹ and Debbie A Lawlor¹

+ Author Affiliations

1. 1.    ¹MRC Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, ²Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil, ³School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK and ⁴School of Oral and Dental Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
2. ↵*Corresponding author. MRC Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK. E-mail: Laura.Howe@bristol.ac.uk

Full text is at http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/03/08/ije.dys025.full

       Accepted February 1, 2012.

Abstract

Background Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with reduced offspring birth length and has been postulated as a risk factor for obesity. Causality for obesity is not established. Causality is well-supported for birth length, but evidence on persistence of height deficits is inconsistent.

Methods We examined the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and trajectories of offspring height (0–10 years, N = 9424), ponderal index (PI) (0–2 years, N = 9321) and body mass index (BMI) (2–10 years, N = 8887) in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. To strengthen inference, measured confounders were controlled for, maternal and partner smoking associations were compared, dose–response and associations with post-natal smoking were examined.

Results Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with shorter birth length, faster height growth in infancy and slower growth in later childhood. By 10 years, daughters of women who smoke during pregnancy are on average 1.11 cm (SE = 0.27) shorter after adjustment for confounders and partner smoking; the difference is 0.22 cm (SE = 0.22) for partner's smoking. Maternal smoking was associated with lower PI at birth, faster PI increase in infancy, but not with BMI changes 2–10 years. Associations were stronger for maternal than partner smoking for PI at birth and PI changes in infancy, but not for BMI changes after 2 years. A similar dose–response in both maternal and partner smoking was seen for BMI change 2–10 years.

Conclusion Maternal smoking during pregnancy has an intrauterine effect on birth length, and possibly on adiposity at birth and changes in height and adiposity in infancy. We do not find evidence of a specific intrauterine effect on height or adiposity changes after the age of 2 years.