The impact of maternal smoking on fast auditory brainstem responses

• Published in: Neurotoxicology and teratology 2009-07, Vol.31 (4), p.216-224
• Main Authors: Kable, Julie A, Coles, Claire D, Lynch, Mary Ellen, Carroll, Julie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABER; Acoustic Stimulation; Audiometry - methods; Auditory Pathways - drug effects; Auditory Pathways - embryology; Auditory Pathways - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - drug effects; Brain - embryology; Brain - physiopathology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Emergency; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem - drug effects; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem - physiology; Female; Humans; Infant; Infants; Language development; Language Development Disorders - chemically induced; Language Development Disorders - diagnosis; Language Development Disorders - physiopathology; Maternal smoking; Medical Education; Medical sciences; Neural Conduction - drug effects; Neural Conduction - physiology; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - diagnosis; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - physiopathology; Reaction Time - drug effects; Reaction Time - physiology; Smoking - adverse effects; Time Factors; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0892-0362; 1872-9738
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2009.02.002

Abstract Deficits in auditory processing have been posited as one of the underlying neurodevelopmental consequences of maternal smoking during pregnancy that leads to later language and reading deficits. Fast auditory brainstem responses were used to assess differences in the sensory processing of auditory stimuli among infants with varying degrees of prenatal cigarette exposure. Maternal report of consumption of cigarettes and blood samples were collected in the hospital to assess exposure levels and participants were then seen at 6-months. To participate in the study, all infants had to pass the newborn hearing exam or a clinically administered ABR and have no known health problems. After controlling for participant age, maternal smoking during pregnancy was negatively related to latency of auditory brainstem responses. Of several potential covariates, only perinatal complications and maternal alcohol use were also related to latency of the ABR responses and maternal smoking level accounted for significant unique variance after controlling for these factors. These results suggest that the relationship between maternal smoking may lead to disruption in the sensory encoding of auditory stimuli.