Researchers discovered that nicotine in e-cigarettes is just as harmful during pregnancy as that in traditional cigarettes.

A University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus team have found that vaping nicotine during pregnancy may be no safer for a developing fetus than smoking cigarettes. The study suggests that vaping nicotine interferes with fetal bone and lung development.

The paper was published in Developmental Biology.

Dr Emily Bates, an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said, “Pregnant women are increasingly turning to vaping with electronic cigarettes as a perceived safer alternative to cigarettes. However, nicotine disrupts fetal development, suggesting that, like cigarette smoking, nicotine vaping may be detrimental to the fetus. Nicotine passes through the placenta to the fetal circulation, where it can accumulate to reach higher levels than in the maternal plasma. This disrupts the development of multiple organs and systems.”

Using an animal model, Emily and her team discovered that even low levels of e-cigarette vapour during pregnancy inhibits growth.

Emily, who collaborated with Dr Eszter Vlader, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said, “Those that were exposed to vaping ended up with smaller and shorter bones during their development. Additionally, we found that the nicotine impacts which genes are turned on in the fetal lung.”

The findings indicate that vaping nicotine during pregnancy can be detrimental to the baby. Emily hopes this study will encourage those hoping to conceive to be more cautious when it comes to nicotine use.

Emily said, “The popularity of vaping among young people, the addictive nature of nicotine, and the lack of perceived risk suggests that vaping during pregnancy will likely increase over time. Identifying the effects of maternal e-cigarette exposure on fetal development is essential to inform public health messaging and protect the health of the baby.”

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