effect of tobacco exposure on the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Published: 2006
Language: eng
Number of pages: 76
ISBN-13: 9780494163566
Description: Background. In utero "programming" of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may occur if cigarette smoking induces a state of chronic oxidative stress in the fetus. I sought to determine the relationship between in utero tobacco exposure and cortisol levels.Methods. This was a prospective cohort study of 21 term infants of smoking mothers and 83 infants of non-smoking mothers.Results. Baseline characteristics were similar although smokers were younger, with lower incomes and education levels. Infants of smokers weighed less and had significantly elevated ACTH levels compared with non-exposed infants (17 +/- 13 pmol/L versus 9 +/- 10 pmol/L, respectively, p=0.004). Cortisol levels were not significantly different. Multiple linear regression revealed that umbilical venous cortisol accounted for the largest amount of variance in umbilical arterial cortisol, R2=39.8%.Conclusions. Infants exposed to in utero tobacco smoke have significantly elevated ACTH levels compared with non-exposed infants, a potential set up for "programming" of the HPA axis.
Notes: Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-06, page: 2753.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Toronto, 2006.

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