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Smoking in the last trimester of pregnancy increases the risk of atopic dermatitis in the baby
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Scientists say that maternal smoking in the last trimester of pregnancy increases the risk of atopic dermatitis in the child, according to a news release from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
A team of scientists conducted a study involving more than 1,400 children aged 2 to 18 months. The doctors were interested in whether the children suffered from allergies. And also whether the mother smoked during pregnancy and immediately after it or was in contact with smokers. The scientists especially carefully asked the parents about the presence of manifestations of atopic dermatitis in the children.
Having analyzed the data obtained, the scientists came to interesting conclusions. It turned out that atopic dermatitis was significantly more common in children whose mothers smoked in the last three months of pregnancy. At the same time, the mother's smoking at the beginning of pregnancy or in the first 6 months of the baby's life did not increase the risk of skin problems in the baby.
The authors of the study suggest that the cause is in the fetus's immune system. Smoking at the end of pregnancy disrupts its development, which leads to atopic dermatitis. It is possible that the child's skin immune system is involved in this process.
It is worth noting that doctors have previously shown the negative effects of maternal smoking on the child's respiratory system. Thus, children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from bronchial asthma and respiratory infections. But the issue of skin manifestations of allergies has remained open. Of course, this is not all that smoking can do to a baby. Doctors talk about this a lot. Smokers are more likely to have pregnancy complications, premature births, and low-weight babies. And this has a negative impact on the baby's health. The authors of the study presented the results of their work at a conference of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Orlando.
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