Cognitive and neurocognitive deficits in children aged nine to twelve have been linked to maternal tobacco use during pregnancy (MTDP), according to a new study. The study included over 11,000 children from 21 locations across the United States. Researchers, led by Troy Buga from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, examined children aged 9 to 10 years (from October 2016 to October 2018) and those aged 11 to 12 years in "Wave 2" (from August 2018 to January 2021). Buga and colleagues investigated whether maternal tobacco use during pregnancy was related to neurocognitive development in children.
The results showed that children exposed to maternal tobacco use during pregnancy (MTDP) scored lower on various cognitive tests, including language skills, memory, and overall cognitive function. Specifically, these children had lower scores in oral reading recognition, picture sequence memory, and picture vocabulary tests. These deficits suggest that maternal smoking during pregnancy can significantly hinder a child's cognitive development, particularly affecting memory and language skills.
Furthermore, the study found that maternal tobacco use during pregnancy (MTDP) not only impacts cognitive abilities but also affects the physical structure of the brain. Children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy had smaller cortical regions and reduced cortical volumes in certain brain areas, such as the precentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobe, internal olfactory cortex, and the parahippocampal gyrus, compared to their peers born to non-smoking mothers. This observation underscores the potential long-term impacts on their education and overall development, extending beyond cognitive impairment to potential structural changes in the brain.
Distinct patterns of cortical volume continued to appear in MRI scans up to the age of 12. The areas exhibiting these different volumes included the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and temporal lobe, while no significant differences were observed in the occipital lobe and insular cortex. The researchers wrote: "These findings indicate that children have weaker language processing skills and episodic memory associated with maternal tobacco use during pregnancy (MTDP). There is a need for intervention strategies that involve expanding access to prenatal healthcare services and anti-smoking policies." The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
