title: Critical review: nicotine for the fetus, the infant and the adolescent?
abstract: The recent expansion of Nicotine Replacement Therapy to pregnant women and children ignores the fact that nicotine impairs, disrupts, duplicates and/or interacts with essential physiological functions and is involved in tobacco-related carcinogenesis. The main concerns in the present context are its fetotoxicity and neuroteratogenicity that can cause cognitive, affective and behavioral disorders in children born to mothers exposed to nicotine during pregnancy, and the detrimental effects of nicotine on the growing organism. Hence, the use of nicotine, whose efficacy in treating nicotine addiction is controversial even in adults, must be strictly avoided in pregnancy, breastfeeding, childhood and adolescence.
authors.affiliation: khginzel@yahoo.com
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ginzel
authors.forename: Gert S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Maritz
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neuberger
authors.forename: Jim R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pauly
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Polito
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulte-Hermann
authors.forename: Theodore A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Slotkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000187:drug effects*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D013723:Teratogens; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D013723:Teratogens; D009538:Nicotine