Primal Health Databank: Study
| Entry No: | 0168 |
| Title: | Maternal smoking during pregnancy and smoking by adolescent daughters |
| Author(s): | Kandel DB, Wu P, Davies MK |
| Reference: | Am J Public Health 1994; 84: 1407-13 |
| Place of Study: | USA |
| Abstract: | First born adolescents and their mothers were studied with follow-up interviews. There were 192 mother child pairs originating from New York State and 797 pairs from a national US sample. In both samples maternal smoking during pregnancy, when post natal smoking was controlled, selectively increased the probability that female children (but not male children) would smoke and would persist in smoking. The interpretation given by the authors is that nicotine, which crosses the placental barrier, stimulates the action of cholinergic neurones and enhances the activity in the dopaminergic system. |
| Keyword(s): | adolescence, nicotine, placental barrier, smoking |
| Discussion: | Since cigarette smoking in adolescence represents a crucial entry point in the progression to elicit drugs risk factors for adolescent, smoking have public health implications. The influence of mothers on children smoking appears to be greater than that of fathers. The value of this study is reinforced by the fact that the authors only consider first born children (the need to smoke might be influenced by birth order). The results of this study should be compared with the results of the studies by Bertil Jacobson and Karin Nyberg on drug addiction in relation to obstetric medication. See entries 0005 to 0009. |
| See Also: | 0005, 0006, 0007, 0008, 0009 |
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