THE EFFECT OF MATERNAL NICOTINE EXPOSURE DURING GESTATION AND LACTATION ON THE LUNG OF ALBINO RAT OFFSPR.ING

Environmental tobacco smoke is a severe health problem, not only for the whole pediatric population but also for the fetus in utero (Sekhon et aI., 2001; Sandberg et aI., 2004). There is compelling evidence that maternal smoking is associated with premature birth, low birth weight and increased fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality (Cliver et al., 1995). Epidemiological studies have shown that environmental tobacco smoke is associated with a significantly increased incidence of wheezing, bronchitis, lower respiratory illness and increased number of hospital admissions during infancy
and childhood (Lam et aI., 2001). These studies further suggest that there is a stronger correlation between prenatal, rather than postnatal, exposure and lower respiratory illness in the offspring of smoking mothers. Altered mechanical properties of the lungs have also been found in these infants and children inclUding signs of airway obstruction with reduced forced expiratory flow rates (Brown et al., 1995; Jones et al.,2000).