Decreased head circumference at birth associated with maternal tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy on the Japanese prospective birth cohort study

• Published in: Scientific reports 2021-09, Vol.11 (1), p.18949-10, Article 18949
• Main Authors: Shiohama, Tadashi, Hisada, Aya, Yamamoto, Midori, Sakurai, Kenichi, Takatani, Rieko, Fujii, Katsunori, Shimojo, Naoki, Mori, Chisato
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/308; 692/700; Adult; Birth Cohort; Body Size; Cephalometry - statistics & numerical data; Children; Cohort analysis; Datasets as Topic; Female; Fetuses; Head; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Japan - epidemiology; Male; Maternal Age; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; Maternal Exposure - statistics & numerical data; multidisciplinary; Neurological complications; Offspring; Passive smoking; Placenta; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Prospective Studies; Regression analysis; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Smoke; Smoking; Tobacco; Tobacco smoke; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Tobacco Smoking - adverse effects; Tobacco Smoking - epidemiology
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98311-2

Maternal tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy impairs fetal body size, including head circumference (HC) at birth; however, the mechanism still remains unclear. This analysis using a large prospective cohort study evaluated the impact of maternal tobacco exposure on their offspring’s HC and the relationship with placental weight ratio (PWR) and placental abnormalities. Parents-children pairs (n = 84,856) were included from the 104,065 records of the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study. Maternal perinatal clinical and social information by self-administered questionnaires, offspring’s body size, and placental information were collected. Data were analyzed with binominal logistic regression analysis and path analysis. Logistic regression showed significantly elevated adjusted odds ratio (aOR) (1.653, 95% CI 1.387–1.969) for the impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy on their offspring’s smaller HC at birth. Maternal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the non-smoking group did not increase aOR for the smaller HC. Path analysis showed that maternal smoking during pregnancy decreased the offspring’s HC directly, but not indirectly via PWR or placental abnormalities. The quitting smoking during pregnancy group did not increase aOR for the smaller HC than the non-smoking group, suggesting that quitting smoking may reduce their offspring’s neurological impairment even after pregnancy.