INCREASE IN CHILD-BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM MATERNAL SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY

In this article, the authors investigated the effect of maternal smoki ng during pregnancy on behavioral problems, which were not mediated by lower birth weight, in offspring at 3 y of: age. The authors used the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 2-3 y (CBCL/2-3; Achenbach, Edelbro ck and Howell) to assess behavioral problems in 1 3 77 2- to 3-y-old h ealthy twin pairs. Soon after the birth of twins, the authors collecte d pre- and perinatal information, including smoking habits of the moth er during pregnancy. The question ''Did you smoke during pregnancy?'' could be answered by choosing one of three possible options: (1) never , (2) sometimes, or (3) regularly. The authors analyzed the effect of maternal smoking on the Child Behavioral Checklist total score and on several subscale scores for first- and second-born twins separately, a nd they adjusted for the possible confounding effects of birth weight, socioeconomic status, maternal age, and having been breast- or bottle -fed. There was a significant effect of maternal smoking on so-called externalizing behavior problems (oppositional, aggressive, overactive) , but not on internalizing behavior problems (withdrawn, depressed, an xious), in both first- and second-born twins. The authors primarily at tributed the enhanced externalizing problems to increased aggression. Although boys had higher externalizing (and aggression) scores than gi rls, the effect of maternal smoking was the same for boys and girls. T he authors also discuss whether maternal smoking causes externalizing behavior problems.