The roles of familial transmission and smoking during pregnancy on executive function skills: A sibling-comparison study

Valerie S. Knopik, Lauren Micalizzi, Kristine Marceau, Amy M. Loviska, Li Yu, Alexandra Bien, Emily Rolan, Allison S. Evans, Rohan H.C. Palmer, Andrew C. Heath

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

This research examines maternal smoking during pregnancy and risk for poorer executive function in siblings discordant for exposure. Data (N = 173 families) were drawn from the Missouri Mothers and Their Children study, a sample, identified using birth records (years 1998-2005), in which mothers changed smoking behavior between two pregnancies (Child 1 [older sibling]: Mage = 12.99; Child 2 [younger sibling]: Mage = 10.19). A sibling comparison approach was used, providing a robust test for the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and different aspects of executive function in early-mid adolescence. Results suggested within-family (i.e., potentially causal) associations between maternal smoking during pregnancy and one working memory task (visual working memory) and one response inhibition task (color-word interference), with increased exposure associated with decreased performance. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was not associated with stop-signal reaction time, cognitive flexibility/set-shifting, or auditory working memory. Initial within-family associations between maternal smoking during pregnancy and visual working memory as well as color-word interference were fully attenuated in a model including child and familial covariates. These findings indicate that exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy may be associated with poorer performance on some, but not all skills assessed; however, familial transmission of risk for low executive function appears more important.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1803-1815
Number of pages13
JournalDevelopment and Psychopathology
Volume34
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 30 2022

Keywords

  • executive function
  • family studies
  • smoking during pregnancy

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