Doctors at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital have published a new study on the outcomes of electronic cigarette use in pregnancy.

Doctors at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital have published a new study on the outcomes of electronic cigarette use in pregnancy.

The research is published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The study found that the birthweight of infants born to e-cigarette users is similar to that of non-smokers and significantly greater than babies born to cigarette smokers. Dual users of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes had infants with a birthweight similar to smokers.

However, the study’s authors RCSI researchers Dr Brendan McDonnell and Dr Carmen Regan caution that further research is needed to establish other health outcomes of e-cigarette use on mothers and babies.

“Smoking cessation and avoidance of nicotine in its entirety is still the preferable option for pregnant women. However, some women who struggle to stop smoking turn to vaping as a method of harm reduction, and continue to vape in pregnancy,” said Dr McDonnell, the study’s first author, Honorary Clinical Lecturer at RCSI and Bernard Stuart Fellow at Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital.

“Although our study has found that e-cigarette use appears to have minimal impact on birthweight, the long term fetal effects of high dose nicotine such as that received through vaping is unclear. Questions also remain on the effects of the other compounds produced by e-cigarettes such as aldehydes and nitrosamines on human fetal development.

“Our study highlights that further research is needed to explore other obstetric and neonatal outcomes of vaping. We recommend that all maternity units should record e-cigarette use in pregnant women to deepen our understanding of potential health impacts. Longitudinal studies extending into childhood are needed to measure developmental issues that may arise due to e-cigarette use in pregnancy.”

The study included 218 women with exclusive e-cigarette use and 195 women with dual use of both cigarettes and e-cigarette attending for antenatal care at the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital. Infants of e-cigarette users had a mean birth weight of 3470g compared to 3471g for non-smokers and 3166g for infants of smokers. The study was funded by Friends of the Coombe charity and by Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital.