Vaping during pregnancy (fetal developmental effects)
Of no less importance is fetal exposure to nicotine during pregnancy.
Vaping prevalence in pregnant women has been estimated to stand between
0.6% and 15%104. Nicotine can cross the placenta and
measurable nicotine levels can been detected in offspring of mothers
smoking during pregnancy105. In uterus nicotine
exposure increases the risk for eclampsia, premature birth, cleft lip
and palate, reduced birth weight106–108, sudden
infant death syndrome, altered corpus callosum, auditory defects,
besides being related to future compromised fertility, type 2 diabetes,
obesity, hypertension and respiratory
dysfunction109,110. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
regulate critical stages of brain development and nicotine neurotoxic
effects on the developing brain have been widely demonstrated, including
future hyperactivity, cognitive impairment, anxiety, mood and attention
symptoms, sensitivity to stimulant drugs109,111–115.
To date, e-cigarette impact on pregnant women and fetuses remains
uncertain and further research should be established. A vast amount of
studies carried out on animal models suggest pre- and postnatal
alterations related with the exposure to both, nicotine and
nicotine-free aerosols, including the down-regulation of genes implied
in lung development116, an inverse relationship
between plasma and urine cotinine level and body
weight117, in addition to neuro-behavioural and
developmental disorders similar to those resulting from conventional
cigarette exposure118.