E-Cigarettes Are ‘As Bad For Unborn Babies As Tobacco Smoke’
People think of e-cigarettes as a ‘safe’ alternative to tobacco - but the devices could be as harmful as tobacco smoke to the nervous systems of the foetus or newborn infant.
The early findings, based on studies of mice, show that exposure to volatile chemicals from the devices disrupts the activity of thousands of genes in the developing frontal cortex, the brain region responsible for higher mental functions.
Lead scientist Professor Judith Zelikoff, from New York University in the US, said: ‘This is ground-breaking research. What it shows is that there is certainly some concern over the safety of e-cigarettes, particularly in relation to pregnant women or young infants.
‘There are potential dangers revealed by these studies indicating a possible impact to the unborn child that may be seen at birth but may occur later in the life of the child.
‘Women may be turning to these products as an alternative because they think they’re safe. Well, they’re not.’
Analysis of the altered gene activity patterns indicated that they could lead to reductions in learning, memory and co-ordination, and increases in hyperactive behaviour.
These are just the sort of neurological effects seen in children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy.
A further study, still on-going, has shown that older mice exposed to e-cigarettes in the womb or just after birth do indeed appear to be hyperactive, running around at a faster rate than normal.
