title: Pre- and Postnatal Smoking Exposure and Risk of Atopic Eczema in Young Japanese Children: A Prospective Prebirth Cohort Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemiological evidence regarding the effect of perinatal smoking exposure on atopic eczema in children continues to be inconclusive. The aim of this prospective prebirth cohort study was to investigate the association between prenatal smoking exposure and postnatal living with household smokers and the risk of atopic eczema in Japanese children aged 23 to 29 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study subjects were 1354 Japanese mother-child pairs. Information on the variables under study was obtained through questionnaires which were completed by mothers, first prior to delivery, then shortly after birth and subsequently around 4, 12, and 24 months after delivery. Eczema in the last 12 months was defined according to the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Physician-diagnosed atopic eczema was considered present if reported by mothers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with no perinatal smoking exposure, prenatal smoking exposure only was associated with an increased risk of physician-diagnosed atopic eczema (adjusted odds ratio = 7.11, 95% confidence interval: 1.43 to 27.8). Postnatal living with at least one household smoker only was not associated with the risk of physician-diagnosed atopic eczema; neither was the combination of both prenatal smoking exposure and postnatal living with at least one household smoker. No association was observed between perinatal smoking exposure status and the risk of eczema as defined according to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that maternal smoking during pregnancy may increase the risk of atopic eczema in young children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present prebirth cohort study, we assessed the independent and additive effects of pre- and postnatal exposure to tobacco smoking on atopic eczema in children. Compared with no perinatal smoking exposure, prenatal smoking exposure only was significantly associated with an increased risk of atopic eczema. Postnatal smoking exposure only was not associated with the risk of atopic eczema; neither was the combination of both pre- and postnatal smoking exposure. This is the first epidemiological study to show a positive association between prenatal smoking exposure only and the risk of atopic eczema.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.|Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Translational Research Center, Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan.
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Tanaka
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.|Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Translational Research Center, Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan.
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Miyake
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.|Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Translational Research Center, Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan.
authors: Shinya
authors: S
authors: Furukawa
authors: Health Tourism Research Fields, Graduate School of Tourism Sciences, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Arakawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution