Proof of a serious effect of smoking electronic cigarettes during pregnancy on fetuses

Through a recent review, Italian researchers evaluated the effect of electronic cigarettes on the development of the fetus’s lung and newborns, with a focus on oxidative stress and infections.

Every soul is breathed by the newborn, the culmination of a complex development process, which is a highly influenced by environmental factors.

While it has been proven that traditional smoking has harmful effects on the growth of the fetus’s lung, electronic cigarettes appeared as an alternative believed to be “safer”, especially among pregnant women. However, electronic cigarette fumes contain nicotine, solvents and flavors that may disrupt the decisive stages in the formation of the lung.

With the increasing use of electronic cigarettes during pregnancy, it became necessary to conduct urgent investigations about its long -term effect on the health of the respiratory system.

The development of the lung of the fetus occurs in five main stages: the fetus, the false glandular, the inferiority, the Kaisiyah, and the Qahimiya. These stages include a complex cellular distinction and structural organization necessary for the function of the lung after birth.

Environmental factors, including mother’s smoking and air pollution, can present this process at risk, which leads to lower lung capacity, an abnormal structure of the airway, and an increase in respiratory diseases.

Exposure to electronic cigarette fumes insert toxic substances in critical stages of development. For example, nicotine easily crosses the placenta and accumulates in the fetal lung tissues, which changes the cells of the cellular signals necessary to form airways.

Animal studies show that nicotine concentrations in the blood of the fetus can be eight times higher with some electronic cigarettes (such as Juul) compared to traditional cigarettes.

In addition, solvents and flavors in electronic cigarettes contribute to oxidative stress, which is a major engine for pulmonary infections and functional imbalance.

The oxidative stress occurs when the production of interactive oxygen (ROS) exceeds the antioxidant defense mechanisms in the body.

Electronic cigarette fumes contain volatile organic compounds and accurate particles that cause oxidation damage. This can lead to infections, weak pellets, and low lung flexibility in newborns.

Studies indicate that prenatal exposure to e-cigarette fumes provokes an inflammatory response characterized by an increase in the levels of Intercin-6 (IL-6) and the alpha-tumor tumor factor (TNF-α). These inflammatory factors can be disrupted by lung tissue, which increases the possibility of infants with respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) later in life.

Exposure to nicotine during pregnancy is associated with many harmful effects on the lung, as it interferes with the paths of the receptors of the “Notch” and “Dipllo Protein” (WNT), which regulates the branching of the bronchi and the distinction of the epithelial cells. Animal studies show that the descendants of mothers exposed to nicotine suffer from smaller lungs, delay in the maturity of air veshes, and increased air resistance.

Probeline glycol (PG) and vegetable vg (VG), the two main components of electronic fluids, are subject to thermal decomposition, which leads to the release of toxic secondary products such as formaldehyde and the astemalhyde. These substances contribute to irritation of the airways and the damage of the DNA in the lung cells.