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. 2004 Jan;94(1):136-40.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.94.1.136.

Maternal smoking in pregnancy, fetal development, and childhood asthma

Jouni J K Jaakkola  1 , Mika Gissler
Affiliations

Maternal smoking in pregnancy, fetal development, and childhood asthma

Jouni J K Jaakkola et al. Am J Public Health. 2004 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined the relationships among maternal smoking in pregnancy, fetal development, and the risk of asthma in childhood.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study, where all 58 841 singleton births were followed for 7 years using nationwide registries.

Results: Maternal smoking increased the risk of asthma (adjusted odds ratio = 1.35; 95% confidence interval = 1.13, 1.62 for high exposure). Low birthweight and preterm delivery increased the risk of asthma at the age of 7, whereas being small for gestational age did not.

Conclusions: Maternal smoking in pregnancy increases the risk of asthma during the first 7 years of life, and only a small fraction of the effect seems to be mediated through fetal growth.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
The hypothesized causal model of the effect of maternal smoking in pregnancy on childhood risk of asthma. Solid arrows indicate a causal relationship; the broken arrow indicates effect modification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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