Researchers say that women’s smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of her daughter becoming hooked on nicotine in adult age. In the journal Biological Psychiatry recently there were published results of a study that found that females who smoke during their pregnancy are at higher risks of their daughters becoming addicted to smoking later in
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Smoking During Pregnancy Can Hike Daughter’s Risk of Nicotine Addiction
Experts have warned that tobacco smoking by pregnant women may adversely affect the developing fetus. Smoking during pregnancy is linked to numerous negative outcomes, including low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, and increased risk for attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, and nicotine use in offspring.
Nevertheless, it is estimated that 13 percent -30 percent of women in the United States continue to smoke while pregnant. A new 40-year study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, provides additional evidence that prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones predicts nicotine dependence later in life.
The new findings, however, suggests the nicotine dependence occurs only for daughters. It also confirms previous research that babies born to moms who smoked when pregnant have an increased risk of nicotine addiction in adulthood.
“While maternal smoking during pregnancy has been shown to be an independent risk factor for nicotine dependence, we didn’t really know which pathways or mechanisms were responsible. Most prior research involving biological mechanisms had been conducted in animals not humans,” said Dr. Laura Stroud, the first author on this study.
“Our study suggests that maternal smoking and high stress hormones represent a ‘double-hit’ in terms of increasing an offspring’s risk for nicotine addiction as an adult.“Because mothers who smoke are often more stressed and living in adverse conditions — these findings represent a major public health concern.”
To conduct the study, Stroud and her colleagues used data from a large, national, long-term project that began in 1959 and enrolled over 50,000 pregnant women. The offspring of those women were ultimately followed by researchers for 40 years.
For this particular project, 1,086 mothers participated, where their hormone levels (cortisol and testosterone) were measured during pregnancy and their smoking status was recorded. Their children, 649 of whom were daughters and 437 of whom were sons, were interviewed as adults and their smoking status was also recorded.
The findings revealed that in female but not male offspring, elevated prenatal cortisol exposure and exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy were associated with increased rates of nicotine dependence as adults. No links were found between elevated prenatal testosterone exposure and adult nicotine dependence. There were also no findings among male offspring.
Nevertheless, it is estimated that 13 percent -30 percent of women in the United States continue to smoke while pregnant. A new 40-year study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, provides additional evidence that prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones predicts nicotine dependence later in life.
The new findings, however, suggests the nicotine dependence occurs only for daughters. It also confirms previous research that babies born to moms who smoked when pregnant have an increased risk of nicotine addiction in adulthood.
“While maternal smoking during pregnancy has been shown to be an independent risk factor for nicotine dependence, we didn’t really know which pathways or mechanisms were responsible. Most prior research involving biological mechanisms had been conducted in animals not humans,” said Dr. Laura Stroud, the first author on this study.
“Our study suggests that maternal smoking and high stress hormones represent a ‘double-hit’ in terms of increasing an offspring’s risk for nicotine addiction as an adult.“Because mothers who smoke are often more stressed and living in adverse conditions — these findings represent a major public health concern.”
To conduct the study, Stroud and her colleagues used data from a large, national, long-term project that began in 1959 and enrolled over 50,000 pregnant women. The offspring of those women were ultimately followed by researchers for 40 years.
For this particular project, 1,086 mothers participated, where their hormone levels (cortisol and testosterone) were measured during pregnancy and their smoking status was recorded. Their children, 649 of whom were daughters and 437 of whom were sons, were interviewed as adults and their smoking status was also recorded.
The findings revealed that in female but not male offspring, elevated prenatal cortisol exposure and exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy were associated with increased rates of nicotine dependence as adults. No links were found between elevated prenatal testosterone exposure and adult nicotine dependence. There were also no findings among male offspring.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Feds grant $1.5 million to help women quit smoking in Brazil
The federal government granted a Brazilian-born researcher at the University of Alabama a 5-year, $1.5 million grant to help women quit smoking in her native country, Judicial Watch reported.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved Isabel Scarinci’s grant in order to better understand “women and their tobacco-related issues” in the South American country, specifically in Miss Scarinci’s hometown of Parana,” the report said.
In the last two years alone, Miss Scarinci has received more than $560,000 for the initiative, with the goal being to ultimately “reduce tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke among women in Parana.”
“Although, historically, tobacco use among women in developing countries, particularly Latin America, has been relatively low as compared to men, the smoking epidemic is rapidly spreading to women in developing countries, and these three Southern states have the highest prevalence of women smokers in the country,” the project states.
“An understanding of women and their tobacco-related issues, as well as the need for the development of gender-relevant tobacco control efforts, have been highlighted as priorities in landmark guiding documents published in the past few years.”
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved Isabel Scarinci’s grant in order to better understand “women and their tobacco-related issues” in the South American country, specifically in Miss Scarinci’s hometown of Parana,” the report said.
In the last two years alone, Miss Scarinci has received more than $560,000 for the initiative, with the goal being to ultimately “reduce tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke among women in Parana.”
“Although, historically, tobacco use among women in developing countries, particularly Latin America, has been relatively low as compared to men, the smoking epidemic is rapidly spreading to women in developing countries, and these three Southern states have the highest prevalence of women smokers in the country,” the project states.
“An understanding of women and their tobacco-related issues, as well as the need for the development of gender-relevant tobacco control efforts, have been highlighted as priorities in landmark guiding documents published in the past few years.”
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