E-cigarette smoking during pregnancy had long-term effects on the lungs of mouse offspring

A new study conducted by researchers at the Dorothy M.
Davis Heart and Lung Institute at The Ohio State University School of Medicine shows that women who vape during pregnancy, including nicotine-free e-cigarettes, may make their children more susceptible to lung diseases in adulthood, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

In the study, pregnant mice were exposed to e-cigarette vapors containing nicotine, e-cigarette vapors without nicotine, or filtered air
.
The researchers examined the offspring of these mice at 5 months of age and found that the mice exposed to e-cigarette vapor with or without nicotine had reduced lung function and evidence that they were frightened
.
They also found that female mice weighed significantly more in adulthood, but not at
birth.
The study was published in
the American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cell and Molecular Physiology.

"The harms of smoking traditional cigarettes during pregnancy are well documented, including sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, and asthma, but the effects of exposure to e-cigarette vapor during development are unclear
.
People have only started vaping since the beginning of the 21st century, and few studies have been conducted
during the period in utero.
Our findings suggest that vaping during pregnancy has long-term effects on the health of offspring," said
Matthew Gore, senior author of the study and a research assistant professor in The Ohio State University's College of Nursing.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, an addictive drug that damages a baby's developing brain, lungs and other organs
.
They also contain chemicals, fragrances, and other additives
that have negative health effects.
In a 2015 study, despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7 percent of women reported vaping
during pregnancy.

"E-cigarettes are touted as safer than traditional cigarettes, and while that's true, it still has health implications
.
Clinical research is just beginning now, as it's clear that e-cigarettes aren't going away
.
We need this type of research to help guide policy in a largely unregulated market," said
study co-author Loren Wold, associate dean of research operations and compliance at the School of Medicine.

The e-cigarette market continues to grow exponentially and is expected to exceed $60 billion in global sales by 2025, surpassing sales of traditional cigarettes
.
Data from the U.
S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that e-cigarettes have been the most used tobacco product
among young people in the United States since 2014.

Next, researchers at Ohio State University will study whether those exposed to e-cigarettes in utero develop more harmful lung diseases as they age, especially when
they experience other lung problems like asthma or infections.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is part of a 2020 grant from the American Heart Association to grant Ohio State University the School of
Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, and Engineering.
Other research has focused on developing the most effective regulations to reduce the attractiveness and addiction of e-cigarettes to teens, as well as the best ways to
help teens quit their addiction.