Smoking in pregnancy and disruptive behaviour in 3-year-old boys and girls: an analysis of the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been consistently associated with

Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and the trajectory of externalizing and internalizing symptoms across childhood: Similarities and differences across parent, teacher, and self reports

“…The most consistent results were found between MSDP and the mean-level of externalizing behavior: Compared to the children of mothers who had not smoked during pregnancy, the children of mothers who had smoked during pregnancy were, on average, more hyperactive and had more difficulties with their peers and with their behavior as rated by parents, teachers, and the children themselves. These results support previous findings that MSDP is associated with symptoms of ADHD and other externalizing disorders (Hutchinson et al ., 2010, Kovess et al ., 2015, Zhu et al ., 2014) and indicate that the results do not depend on who reports the symptomatology; similar differences emerged from three respondents who had access to information about the child across different settings.…”

“…There is consistent evidence that children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy have more symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Kovess et al ., 2015, Melchior et al ., 2015) and are more likely to receive a diagnosis of ADHD (Zhu et al ., 2014) than children of mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy. MSDP has likewise been associated with other externalizing behaviors, such as symptoms of conduct disorders (Hutchinson et al ., 2010). The relation with internalizing symptomatology in childhood is less clear (Moylan et al ., 2015); some research finds a positive relation between MSDP and internalizing symptoms (McCrory and Layte, 2012) and some research finds no association (Melchior et al ., 2015).…”

Smoking in Pregnancy and Parenting Stress: Maternal Psychological Symptoms and Socioeconomic Status as Potential Mediating Variables

“…Furthermore, the association between cigarette smoking and psychiatric disorders in general has been documented (e.g., Degenhardt & Hall, 2001;Kahler et al, 2009 ;Saban & Flisher, 2010) and lends support to the interpretation that smoking in pregnancy, a risky behavior likely to affect infant health, may be a marker for psychological distress in mothers, particularly for those who smoke more heavily. This interpretation is consistent with but more focused than the suggestion by Pickett et al (2008) that smoking in pregnancy may be a marker for psychosocial difficulties of these mothers or that of Hutchinson, Pickett, Green, and Wakschlag (2010) that it may be a marker for "intergenerational processes associated with both the tendency to smoke and to have offspring with behavioural and cognitive problems . .…”

The gestational foundation of sex differences in development and vulnerability

“…A review of the literature conducted in 2002 suggests that conduct disorders and antisocial behavior are more frequent in boys exposed to smoking in utero , but smoking and does not increase risks for these diagnoses in girls (Wakschlag et al, 2002). Others have also shown a disproportionate effect of maternal smoking on behavioral disorders in boys (Hutchinson et al, 2010), although precursors do not appear to be evident in toddlers (Wakschlag et al, 2006). However, in a large study that included observer-ratings of 6 to 8 month old infant behaviors, prenatal exposure to ½ pack/day of cigarettes or more was associated with a number of significant interactions by infant sex.…”