The longitudinal study quantified the impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy on blood pressure (BP) and hypertension in early adolescence.
Data from 1,582 mother–child dyads in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and its Child Health CheckPoint wave were analyzed, with offspring assessed at 11–12 years. Maternal smoking was classified as ever versus never smoked, intensity (≤10 vs. >10 cigarettes/day), and continuous versus ceased.
Offspring cardiovascular evaluations included systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid intima‑media thickness (cIMT). Exposed offspring exhibited higher SBP (+2.54 mm Hg; 95% CI, 0.54–4.53), DBP (+1.46 mm Hg; 95% CI, 0.21–2.71), and MAP (+1.82 mm Hg; 95% CI, 0.48–3.16), and a 1.44‑fold increased hypertension odds (95% CI, 1.01–2.06) compared with nonsmokers’ offspring.
Heavy prenatal exposure showed a dose‑response effect (P‑trend < .05) and nearly doubled adjusted hypertension odds (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.22–3.24). No consistent associations were found for PWV or cIMT. Therefore, prenatal tobacco exposure predisposes offspring to elevated BP and hypertension by early adolescence.
However, self‑reported smoking and a predominantly White cohort limit generalizability; prospective studies and targeted prevention are warranted.