Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy Are Long-Lasting

Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to higher rates of externalizing disorders in offspring. These disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder are associated with decreased inhibitory control. Researchers examined the relationship of prenatal smoking to activity and structure of brain regions involved in response inhibition.

Participants were 178 young adults (73 men) who had been followed prospectively since birth, including four ADHD assessments between ages 2 and 11. In the group, 13.5% had mothers who smoked >5 cigarettes per day during pregnancy. Prenatal exposure to smoking was associated with higher rates of parental postnatal smoking and higher rates of offspring's nicotine dependence,…