Maternal electronic cigarette exposure in relation to offspring development: a comprehensive review
- PMID: 35568317
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100659
Maternal electronic cigarette exposure in relation to offspring development: a comprehensive review
Abstract
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become increasingly popular in young generations in the United States. Because the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with combustible cigarette smoking are well-recognized, many pregnant women switch to e-cigarettes believing that this alternative is low in toxic chemicals. However, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can easily pass through the placenta and accumulate to a high concentration in fetal blood circulation. Studies have also detected toxic metals (eg, lead, cadmium, and nickel) in e-cigarettes, and carbonyl compounds and flavorings, which are suggested to be irritative and even carcinogenic. There are questions that need to be answered about the risks of e-cigarette exposure during pregnancy. Unfortunately, research evaluating the association between maternal e-cigarette exposure and offspring health is scarce, especially with regard to human studies. Some evidence from laboratory and animal studies, although inconsistent, showed that maternal exposure to e-cigarette vapor may lead to restricted growth of offspring. E-cigarette exposure may also have an impact on the metabolic health of offspring, manifested as distorted glucose homeostasis and energy metabolism. In addition, in utero exposure may lead to defects in respiratory, vascular, and neurologic system development. For humans, investigations mostly focused on immediate birth outcomes such as small-for-gestational-age neonates, low birthweight, and preterm birth; however, the results were inconclusive. Research also suggests that maternal e-cigarette exposure may result in compromised neurodevelopment in newborns. In summary, current evidence is insufficient to rigorously evaluate the health impacts of maternal e-cigarette use on offspring development. Future investigations are warranted.
Keywords: electronic cigarette; maternal e-cigarette; offspring; pregnancy.
Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Developmental toxicity of e-cigarette aerosols.Birth Defects Res. 2019 Oct 15;111(17):1294-1301. doi: 10.1002/bdr2.1571. Epub 2019 Aug 9. Birth Defects Res. 2019. PMID: 31400084 Review.
-
Modulation of neural regulators of energy homeostasis, and of inflammation, in the pups of mice exposed to e-cigarettes.Neurosci Lett. 2018 Sep 25;684:61-66. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.07.001. Epub 2018 Jul 4. Neurosci Lett. 2018. PMID: 29981356
-
Switching from tobacco cigarettes in very early pregnancy: The effects of in utero e-cigarette exposure on mouse offspring neurodevelopment and behaviour.Physiol Behav. 2023 May 1;263:114118. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114118. Epub 2023 Feb 14. Physiol Behav. 2023. PMID: 36796533
-
Adverse effects of fetal exposure of electronic-cigarettes and high-fat diet on male neonatal hearts.Exp Mol Pathol. 2021 Feb;118:104573. doi: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2020.104573. Epub 2020 Nov 17. Exp Mol Pathol. 2021. PMID: 33212125 Free PMC article.
-
The Use of Electronic Cigarettes in Pregnancy: A Review of the Literature.Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2018 Sep;73(9):544-549. doi: 10.1097/OGX.0000000000000595. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2018. PMID: 30265741 Review.
Cited by
-
Potential Disruption of Systemic Hormone Transport by Tobacco Alkaloids Using Computational Approaches.Toxics. 2022 Nov 26;10(12):727. doi: 10.3390/toxics10120727. Toxics. 2022. PMID: 36548560 Free PMC article.
-
Demographic Characteristics, Perinatal Smoking Patterns, and Risk for Neonatal Health Complications Among Pregnant Smokers in the United States Who Begin Using Electronic Cigarettes During Pregnancy: A Descriptive Study Using Population-Based Surveillance Data.Nicotine Tob Res. 2024 Oct 22;26(11):1455-1462. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntae119. Nicotine Tob Res. 2024. PMID: 38779997 Free PMC article.
-
Global Trends and Emerging Frontiers in Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco Research: A Bibliometric Analysis over the Past Decade.Healthcare (Basel). 2025 May 23;13(11):1224. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13111224. Healthcare (Basel). 2025. PMID: 40508838 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Maternal e-cigarette use can disrupt postnatal blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and deteriorates motor, learning and memory function: influence of sex and age.Fluids Barriers CNS. 2023 Mar 10;20(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s12987-023-00416-5. Fluids Barriers CNS. 2023. PMID: 36899432 Free PMC article.
-
Gestation, Not Lactation, Is to Blame for Postnatal Vascular Dysfunction in Offspring With Maternal Electronic Cigarette Exposure.J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 Apr 2;13(7):e034030. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.123.034030. Epub 2024 Mar 27. J Am Heart Assoc. 2024. PMID: 38533948 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical