The Impact of E-cigarettes During Pregnancy on Childhood Health Outcomes Study

Launched by UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN · Mar 5, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The ECHO study is researching the long-term health effects on children whose mothers used e-cigarettes during pregnancy. While we know that smoking tobacco during pregnancy can lead to serious health issues for both the mother and baby, there is still limited information about how e-cigarettes might affect unborn children. This study aims to understand outcomes related to growth, brain development, and respiratory health in children born to mothers who vaped, as well as comparing these outcomes to those of children born to non-smokers and tobacco smokers.

To participate, women must be between 18 and 45 years old, pregnant with one baby, and either smokers, vapers, or non-smokers. The study will follow these mothers and their babies for two years after birth to gather important information through measurements and questionnaires. This research is crucial to help us understand the potential risks of e-cigarette use during pregnancy and provide better guidance for expecting mothers.

Gender

FEMALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Women aged 18 or greater and less than 46 years of age at booking
• • Pregnant with a singleton fetus
• • Smokers (exhaled CO reading of greater than or equal to 4) or
• • Self-reported vaper or
• • Dual user (smoker/vaper)
• • Non-smokers
• • Able to understand and read English.
• • Willing to agree to follow-up for the two-year duration of the study in the postnatal period (ie. unlikely to move out of the catchment area).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Women pregnant with twins or higher order multiples
• • Late bookers - defined as booking after 24+0 weeks' gestational age
• • Fetus or infant diagnosed with a major congenital abnormality (major structural abnormality, ie congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), omphalocele, major cardiac defects ie. which require immediate admission to NICU +/- transfer to cardiology for surgery, chromosomal abnormalities, syndromes - Turner's/Noonan's) or a lethal fetal anomaly
• • Any inherited disorder of metabolism or Cystic Fibrosis on Guthrie Card/ neonatal blood spot screening
• • History of significant medical disorder in pregnancy e.g. cardiac, haematological, or endocrine disease (including gestational diabetes requiring insulin)
• • Significant maternal psychiatric disorder, e.g. delusional or psychotic disorders, severe depression requiring hospitalisation, use of \>1 psychotropic drugs for treatment
• • Serious co-morbid addiction issues e.g. opiate abuse, methadone maintenance program
• • Severe intellectual disability or lack of capacity