Maternal Smoking Predicts Larger Waist Circumference and Skin Fold Measures by Middle Childhood

Context: Experimental research using animals and correlational studies with humans provide strong evidence that exposure to gestational cigarette smoke can foster long-term risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome in offspring. Objective: To estimate the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the development of adiposity by middle childhood in a sample of typically developing children living in the province of Quebec, Canada. Research Method and Procedure: Participants comprise the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development prospective birth cohort. Mothers of 2010 children reported on smoking during pregnancy when children were 5 months old. Main outcome measures were direct assessment of abdomen, calf, and triceps skin folds at 98 months and waist circumference at 98 and 120 months. Results: Up to 11% of children experienced heavy exposure to tobacco during gestation. After adjusting for child and family factors, gestational tobacco smoke exposure was prospectively associated with abdomen, calf, and triceps skin folds in mm by 98 months, B = 1.997 (CI = .954-3.040), B = 1.569 (CI= .685-2.453), and B =1.141(CI= .385-1.897),respectively. Exposure also predicted waist circumference in cm at 98 and 120 months, B =1.927(CI= .6343.22) and B = 3.046(CI=1.81-4.282), respectively. Conclusions: This study provides evidence which helps chart the developmental influence of gestational exposure to cigarette smoke on long-term adiposity outcomes. To improve population health, increased efforts should be directed at educating smokers about the potential long-term health hazards association with gestational smoking.