title: Smoking during pregnancy and ADHD risk: A genetically informed, multiple-rater approach.
abstract: Maternal smoking during pregnancy (SDP) is a significant public health concern with adverse consequences to the health and well-being of the developing child, including behavioral outcomes such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). There is substantial interest in understanding the nature of this reported association, particularly in light of more recent genetically informed studies that suggest that the SDP-ADHD link is less clear than once thought. In a sample of families (N = 173) specifically selected for sibling pairs discordant for prenatal smoking exposure, we use a sibling-comparison approach that controls for shared genetic and familial influences to assess the effects of SDP on ADHD symptom dimensions. ADHD was measured by both parent and teacher report on the Conners report forms and the Child Behavior Checklist/Teacher Report Form (CBCL/TRF). Results for the CBCL/TRF Total ADHD score are consistent with prior genetically informed approaches and suggest that previously reported associations between SDP and ADHD are largely due to familial confounding rather than causal teratogenic effects. However, results from the Conners parent report suggest a potentially causal effect of SDP on hyperactive/impulsive and, to a lesser extent, total ADHD symptoms; SDP results in increased parent-reported hyperactive/impulsive and total ADHD symptoms even after accounting for genetic and familial confounding factors. This suggests that the Conners assessment (parent-report) may provide a sensitive measure for use in studies examining child specific SDP effects on continuous and dimensional aspects of ADHD. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island. valerie_knopik@brown.edu.|Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. valerie_knopik@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Valerie S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Knopik
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island.|Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marceau
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado.
authors.forename: L Cinnamon
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Bidwell
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island.|Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Rohan H C
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island.|Department of Psychology and Child Development, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.
authors.forename: Taylor F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Todorov
authors.affiliation: Memorial Hospital, Pawtucket, RI USA; Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Allison Schettini
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Midwest Alcoholism Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Heath
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000235:genetics*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D035781:Siblings; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: ADHD; CBCL; Conners; genetics; multiple reporters; sibling comparison design; smoking during pregnancy