E-cigarette Use during Pregnancy Creates Lung Dysfunction in Babies

Mouse study shows vaping during pregnancy also puts offspring at risk for adult pulmonary disease

Rockville, Md. (December 8, 2022)—Babies born to mothers who vape during pregnancy are at greater risk of developing pulmonary dysfunction, according to a new mouse study from The Ohio State University (OSU). Researchers also found the risk of pulmonary diseases, such as asthma, continued into adulthood. The findings are published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and the study has been chosen as an APSselect article for December.    

“There are absolutely a lot of risks with vaping, especially during pregnancy, and that’s what our research is beginning to solidify. Mothers who are pregnant should avoid vaping.” —Matthew W. Gorr, PhD

Physiologists conducted this study in pregnant mice that were exposed to e-cigarette vapor five days a week for four hours each day. A control group of mice was exposed to filtered air. Some of the findings in the offspring of these mice include:

• significantly higher body weight at adulthood but not at birth;
• impaired pulmonary function;
• increased lung scarring and stiffness (fibrosis); and
• hypersecretion of mucus, resulting in airway narrowing.

These findings bolster the belief that vaping is not a good alternative to traditional combustible cigarettes, according to the study’s lead author, Matthew W. Gorr, PhD, a research assistant professor at OSU. “Vaping during pregnancy not only affects birth outcomes of their children, but also when their children become adults, it may give them a greater propensity to develop pulmonary disease,” Gorr said.

Approximately 8.1 million adults in the U.S. use e-cigarettes, according to a 2018 finding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The health agency has labeled vaping a public health concern and linked the practice to an outbreak of lung injury and deaths among adults in 2020.

Read the full article, “E-cigarette vapor exposure in utero causes long-term pulmonary effects in offspring.” It is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program. Read all of this month’s selected research articles.

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in our Newsroom.

Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.