Early hits and long-term consequences: tracking the lasting impact of prenatal smoke exposure on telomere length in children.

Theall, Katherine P; McKasson, Sarah; Mabile, Emily; Dunaway, Lauren F; Drury, Stacy S · Am J Public Health · 2013

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

We examined the association between telomere length and prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) in 104 children aged 4 to 14 years. Salivary telomere length (STL) was determined from salivary DNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Of the children, 18% had maternal reported PTE. Mean STL was significantly lower among children with PTE (6.4 vs 7.5, P < .05). Findings extend the literature demonstrating the negative long-term effects of PTE to include a cellular marker of aging linked to multiple negative health outcomes.

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