In this issue of The Journal, Ekblad et al report as a part of the PIPARI study the effects of smoking during pregnancy on fetal brain volumes with magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Specifically, the data are not pregnancy-based but are based on neonatal unit recordings. A subgroup analysis of prenatal exposure to cigarette smoking was carried out in 232 very low birth weight infants, of whom a total of 42 infants were exposed to smoking during pregnancy. The main findings were that the frontal lobe and the cerebellar volumes were significantly decreased in exposed infants without changes in head circumference. The observed differences remained significant after controlling for a number of confounding factors.
展开▼
