Effects of Prenatal Cigarette Smoke Exposure on Neurobehavioral Outcomes in Ten-Year-Old Children of Teenage Mothers

• Published in: Neurotoxicology and teratology Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 137 - 144
• Main Authors: Cornelius, Marie D., De Genna, Natacha M., Leech, Sharon L., Willford, Jennifer A., Goldschmidt, Lidush, Day, Nancy L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2011
• ISSN: 0892-0362; 1872-9738
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2010.08.006

In this prospective study, teenager mothers (mean age = 16; range = 12–18; 70% African American) were interviewed about their tobacco use during pregnancy. When their children were ten, mothers reported on their child’s behavior and the children completed a neuropsychological battery. We examined the association between prenatal cigarette smoke exposure (PCSE) and offspring neurobehavioral outcomes on data from the ten-year phase (n = 336). Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to test if PCSE predicted neurobehavioral outcomes, adjusting for demographic characteristics, maternal psychological characteristics, prenatal exposure to other substances, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Independent effects of PCSE were found. Exposed offspring had more delinquent, aggressive and externalizing behaviors (CBCL). They were more active (Routh, EAS, SNAP) and impulsive (SNAP), and had more problems with peers (SNAP). On the Stroop test, deficits were observed in both baseline response processing measures and on the more complex interference task that requires both selective attention and response inhibition. The significant effects of PCSE on neurobehavioral outcomes were found for exposure to as few as 10 cigarettes per day. These results are consistent with results from an earlier assessment when the children were age 6, demonstrating that the effects of prenatal tobacco exposure can be identified early and are consistent through middle childhood.