Effects of E-Cigarette Exposure on Prenatal Life and Childhood Respiratory Health: A Review of Current Evidence

Qualitative study on the perception of combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco cigarettes among pregnant women

The research proposes to investigate the psychological reasons that may explain women's addiction to smoking during pregnancy and the perception of combustible cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco cigarettes. The sample included 30 participants who smoke or people who previously smoked who chose to quit or continue smoking during pregnancy. The data was gathered via a semi-structured interview and developed from three research questions: feelings, opinions and perceptions of pregnant women toward e-cigarettes, heated tobacco cigarettes, and combustible cigarettes. The study used thematic qualitative analysis for the methodological formulation of the results. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research Standards (QRRS) checklist was used. In this qualitative research, three psychological reasons for the onset of smoking were found and analyzed: feelings of stress, nervousness, and loneliness. According to the results: 40.91% of the women who smoked combustible cigarettes decided to keep on smoking and 59.09% decided to quit, 16.67% of participants who use heated tobacco cigarette decided to continue during pregnancy and the remaining 83.33% decide to stop; lastly, there is a condition of fairness for adults who use e-cigarette, 50% decided to continue smoking during pregnancy and the other 50% decided to stop smoking. The data indicate that those who continue to smoke during pregnancy are participants who smoke combustible cigarettes, stating that they reduce the amount of smoke inhaled. Meanwhile, participants who use heated tobacco cigarettes or e-cigarettes are certain that they pose less risk than combustible cigarettes; nevertheless, most of them decide to quit smoking during pregnancy. Another important aspect that has been noted is that of formal abandonment treatments, as quite unexpectedly, there has been a unanimous recognition of strong distrust toward the possible risks to the unborn child. There is a lot of distrust and little knowledge of official smoking cessation therapies, and because of this, participants stated that they can quit smoking whenever they want and only with their own willpower. Five categories and related themes emerged from the thematic analysis, such as reasons for starting with themes such as stress, irritation, loneliness, adolescence and integration; reasons for attachment to topics such as habit and carelessness about one's health; perceptions of traditional cigarettes compared to e-cigarettes and heated cigarettes with related topics such as sensory experiences and side effects; feelings and use of official smoking cessation therapies with issues as willpower and knowledge; information on the effects of smoke during pregnancy and breastfeeding, including risk information.

Electronic nicotine delivery system: a narrative review on growing threat to tobacco control and health of the young Indian population

The electronic cigarette (EC) was developed as an alternative to cigarette smoking. In less than a decade, the prevalence of past-month EC usage increased from 1.5 to 27.5 % among US high-school students. In the coming years, Asia-Pacific countries will have the highest sales of electronic nicotine/non-nicotine delivery systems (ENDS/ENNDS) after Western Europe. Based on the World Health Organization and Indian Council of Medical Research recommendations, India approved a complete ban on EC in 2019. Even though it has been three years since the ban, EC is still being sold in India's grey markets, where marketing is not regulated. In this narrative review, we discuss that vaping is not just a harm reduction strategy for tobacco smoking cessation but poses a serious threat to India's existing tobacco control efforts as well as the health of the country's young people.

The Use of Electronic Cigarettes in Saudi Arabia: A Narrative Review

The use of electronic cigarettes (or "e-cigarettes") is spreading throughout the world. Population-level data from a number of countries indicate that e-cigarettes are used more by children and young adults than by the overall population. Although extensive research has been conducted in Western nations to better understand many aspects of e-cigarette usage among children and young adults, Middle Eastern nations have little data on this topic. The use of tobacco is detrimental to the health, finances, and national spirit of Saudi Arabia. More than 7,000 of its citizens die each year from diseases caused by tobacco use. Nevertheless, more than 20,000 youngsters and 3,352,000 adults smoke cigarettes each day. Similarly, the use of electronic cigarettes is on the rise, possibly as a result of aggressive publicity and marketing campaigns by manufacturers that appeal to the younger demographic. This review was undertaken through literature research to ascertain the usage and attitudes toward e-cigarette use among the Saudi population.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a Model for the Study of Developmental and Cardiovascular Toxicity of Electronic Cigarettes

The increasing popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as an alternative to conventional tobacco products has raised concerns regarding their potential adverse effects. The cardiovascular system undergoes intricate processes forming the heart and blood vessels during fetal development. However, the precise impact of e-cigarette smoke and aerosols on these delicate developmental processes remains elusive. Previous studies have revealed changes in gene expression patterns, disruptions in cellular signaling pathways, and increased oxidative stress resulting from e-cigarette exposure. These findings indicate the potential for e-cigarettes to cause developmental and cardiovascular harm. This comprehensive review article discusses various aspects of electronic cigarette use, emphasizing the relevance of cardiovascular studies in Zebrafish for understanding the risks to human health. It also highlights novel experimental approaches and technologies while addressing their inherent challenges and limitations.

Prenatal nicotine exposure during pregnancy results in adverse neurodevelopmental alterations and neurobehavioral deficits

Maternal tobacco use and nicotine exposure during pregnancy have been associated with adverse birth outcomes in infants and can lead to preventable pregnancy complications. Exposure to nicotine and other compounds in tobacco and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has been shown to increases the risk of miscarriage, prematurity, stillbirth, low birth weight, perinatal morbidity, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Additionally, recent data provided by clinical and pre-clinical research demonstrates that nicotine exposure during pregnancy may heighten the risk for adverse neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD), anxiety, and depression along with altering the infants underlying brain circuitry, response to neurotransmitters, and brain volume. In the United States, one in 14 women (7.2%) reported to have smoked cigarettes during their pregnancy with the global prevalence of smoking during pregnancy estimated to be 1.7%. Approximately 1.1% of women in the United States also reported to have used e-cigarettes during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Due to the large percentage of women utilizing nicotine products during pregnancy in the United States and globally, this review seeks to centralize pre-clinical and clinical studies focused on the neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental complications associated with prenatal nicotine exposure (PNE) such as alterations to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NA), hippocampus, and caudate as well as changes to nAChR and cholinergic receptor signaling, long-term drug seeking behavior following PNE, and other related developmental disorders. Current literature analyzing the association between PNE and the risk for offspring developing schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), anxiety, and obesity will also be discussed.

The impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy on hemostatic profile of neonates using thromboelastometry (ROTEM). A pilot observational study

INTRODUCTION

In adults, the negative effect of smoking on hemostasis has been well established. Contrarily, data regarding the hemostatic status of neonates exposed to tobacco during pregnancy are limited. This study aimed to investigate the influence of antenatal tobacco exposure on the hemostatic profile of neonates using Thromboelastometry (ROTEM).

METHODS

This observational study included 92 healthy full-term neonates born in the maternity department of our hospital over a 5-year period. The neonates were categorized in 2 groups: neonates born to mothers who reported smoking during the entire pregnancy and neonates born to non-smoking mothers. Neonates were matched 1:1 with regards to gestational age, delivery mode, and gender. ROTEM EXTEM assay was performed on the 2nd-3rd day of life and clotting time (CT); clot formation time (CFT); clot amplitude recorded at 10 and 30 min (A10, A30); a angle (a^o); maximum clot firmness (MCF, mm); lysis index at 30 and 60 min (LI30, LI60, %); maximum clot elasticity (MCE), were measured.

RESULTS

Neonates with antenatal exposure to tobacco had shorter CT (p < 0.001) and CFT (p = 0.035), higher A10 (p = 0.043), A30 (p = 0.028) and MCE (p = 0.028) compared to those not exposed to tobacco during pregnancy. The multivariable regression analysis adjusted for gestational age, gender, birth weight and delivery mode showed that maternal tobacco use during pregnancy is associated with an accelerated activation of coagulation in neonates expressed by shorter EXTEM CT values (coefficient: -8.68, 95%,CI: -13.51--3.85, p = 0.001) while no association was found with the remaining ROTEM parameters.

DISCUSSION

Smoking during pregnancy results in a hypercoagulable profile of neonates, expressed by shorter ROTEM CT. Antenatal exposure to tobacco appears to be an aggravating factor for the hemostatic status of neonates.

Environmental inequality: Air pollution and asthma in children

INTRODUCTION

Whether you benefit from high-quality urban environments, such as those rich in green and blue spaces, that may offer benefits to allergic and respiratory health depends on where you live and work. Environmental inequality, therefore, results from the unequal distribution of the risks and benefits that stem from interactions with our environment.

METHODS

Within this perspective, this article reviews the evidence for an association between air pollution caused by industrial activities, traffic, disinfection-by-products, and tobacco/e-cigarettes, and asthma in children. We also discuss the proposed mechanisms by which air pollution increases asthma risk, including environmental epigenetic regulations, oxidative stress, and damage, disrupted barrier integrity, inflammatory pathways, and enhancement of respiratory sensitization to aeroallergens.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Environmental air pollution is a major determinant of childhood asthma, but the magnitude of effect is not shared equally across the population, regions, and settings where people live, work, and spend their time. Improvement of the exposure assessment, a better understanding of critical exposure time windows, underlying mechanisms, and drivers of heterogeneity may improve the risk estimates. Urban conditions and air quality are not only important features for national and local authorities to shape healthy cities and protect their citizens from environmental and health risks, but they also provide opportunities to mitigate inequalities in the most deprived areas where the environmental burden is highest. Actions to avoid exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants should be complementary at different levels-individual, local, and national levels-to take effective measures to protect children who have little or no control over the air they breathe.