Event Title
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Patricia Brennan
Proposal Type
Poster
Start Date
2-11-2019 10:20 AM
End Date
2-11-2019 11:30 AM
Location
Cleveland Ballroom
Abstract
In utero, fetuses can be exposed to levels of nicotine that are up to 15% higher than the levels consumed by their mothers. Nicotine exposure during gestation can lead to developmental complications, including spontaneous abortions, reduced uterine blood flow, and deficits in auditory processing. Studies also report a negative association between maternal prenatal urine cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine and a reliable biomarker) and infant motor development. Furthermore, past research illustrates that developmental outcomes may differ based on the infant's sex. In the current study, we predicted mothers with higher cotinine levels would have infants with significant deficits in motor development. Specifically, we expected female infants with higher prenatal cotinine exposures to have more substantial reductions in motor development at 6 months of age. This sample consisted of 72 African American mother-infant pairs living in Atlanta, Georgia. Motor, cognitive, language, and social-emotional development were measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. Maternal serum cotinine samples were assayed at two points during pregnancy. Regression analyses were performed, using infant sex as a moderator. These tests showed that cotinine levels were not significantly correlated with motor development in boys or girls at 6 months of age. Conversely, an additional, exploratory analysis indicated a significant, negative association between cotinine levels and receptive communication scores; a relationship that was more prominent in male infants. Receptive communication refers to one’s ability to correctly interpret auditory information. Although motor development was not found to be a significant outcome, prenatal maternal smoking may be adversely impacting language development via this method of auditory processing. Future research should investigate the implications of nicotine exposure on the acquisition of language. Our hope is that this data will be utilized to create more robust prevention methods for populations susceptible to environmental toxicants.
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Maternal and Child Health Commons
#41 - Sex Differences in the Association between Prenatal Second-hand Smoke Exposure and Infant Development
Cleveland Ballroom
In utero, fetuses can be exposed to levels of nicotine that are up to 15% higher than the levels consumed by their mothers. Nicotine exposure during gestation can lead to developmental complications, including spontaneous abortions, reduced uterine blood flow, and deficits in auditory processing. Studies also report a negative association between maternal prenatal urine cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine and a reliable biomarker) and infant motor development. Furthermore, past research illustrates that developmental outcomes may differ based on the infant's sex. In the current study, we predicted mothers with higher cotinine levels would have infants with significant deficits in motor development. Specifically, we expected female infants with higher prenatal cotinine exposures to have more substantial reductions in motor development at 6 months of age. This sample consisted of 72 African American mother-infant pairs living in Atlanta, Georgia. Motor, cognitive, language, and social-emotional development were measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. Maternal serum cotinine samples were assayed at two points during pregnancy. Regression analyses were performed, using infant sex as a moderator. These tests showed that cotinine levels were not significantly correlated with motor development in boys or girls at 6 months of age. Conversely, an additional, exploratory analysis indicated a significant, negative association between cotinine levels and receptive communication scores; a relationship that was more prominent in male infants. Receptive communication refers to one’s ability to correctly interpret auditory information. Although motor development was not found to be a significant outcome, prenatal maternal smoking may be adversely impacting language development via this method of auditory processing. Future research should investigate the implications of nicotine exposure on the acquisition of language. Our hope is that this data will be utilized to create more robust prevention methods for populations susceptible to environmental toxicants.
