title: Parental smoking during pregnancy and cardiovascular structures and function in childhood: the Generation R Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Foetal smoke exposure might lead to foetal developmental adaptations that permanently affect the cardiovascular system. We assessed the associations of both maternal and paternal smoking during pregnancy with childhood cardiovascular structures and function.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective cohort study among 5565 children, we examined whether maternal and paternal smoking during pregnancy are associated with blood pressure, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and left cardiac structures and function in 6-year-old children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared with children from non-smoking mothers, children from mothers who smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day had a higher diastolic blood pressure [difference 1.43 mmHg (95% confidence interval: 0.22, 2.63)]. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was not associated with systolic blood pressure, childhood carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity or left cardiac structures. Maternal smoking of 10 or more cigarettes per day was associated with a higher fractional shortening in childhood [difference 1.01% (95% confidence interval: 0.18, 1.84)]. Among mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy, paternal smoking was associated with aortic root diameter but not with other cardiovascular outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and fractional shortening, although the effect estimates are small. The stronger effect estimates for maternal smoking compared with paternal smoking might suggest that direct intrauterine adaptive responses are involved as underlying mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H Rob
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Taal
authors.forename: Layla L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: de Jonge
authors.forename: Lennie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Osch-Gevers
authors.forename: Eric A P
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Steegers
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Willem A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Helbing
authors.forename: Albert J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van der Heijden
authors.forename: Vincent W V
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000002:abnormalities*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Maternal smoking during pregnancy; blood pressure; cardiac structures; cardiovascular development; carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity