Smoking during pregnancy may not promote ADHD in children
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis headed by University of Bristol researchers debunk the misconception that maternal prenatal smoking is related to child attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but is unlikely to be the cause.
The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction. Several studies have found that a mother’s smoking during pregnancy may contribute to her child’s ADHD, but it’s unclear whether this is a true causal influence or the result of confounding factors like socioeconomic status, education, income, and maternal age. The purpose of this new review was to try to discover an answer to that issue.
The analysis looked at 46 previous studies that looked at the link between maternal prenatal smoking and ADHD diagnosis in kids.
In addition to standard methodologies, the evaluation notably included research that accounted for genetic factors.
Some of the studies had a low risk of bias (meaning they were unlikely to provide misleading results) and could account for genetic influences. These results suggest that shared DNA has a significant role in the link between child ADHD and prenatal smoking.
A recent comprehensive study based on genetically informed designs revealed that the link between maternal prenatal smoking and ADHD is explained by shared genetics.
According to lead author Dr. Elis Haan, an Honorary Research Associate at Bristol’s School of Psychological Science, “our comprehensive study reveals that there is no causal connection between maternal prenatal smoking and offspring ADHD diagnosis.”
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