Vaping During Pregnancy Raises Risk of Adverse Birth Outcomes by 20%

Currently, with the increasing prevalence of e-cigarettes among young people, the health risks they pose are becoming increasingly concerning. Recently, research teams from George Mason University and Baylor University published a study in the international journal Preventive Medicine indicating that the use of e-cigarettes by pregnant women increases the risk of adverse birth outcomes.

The research team analyzed data from the U.S. Tobacco and Health Population Assessment Study to examine the relationship between e-cigarette use among pregnant women and subsequent birth outcomes through a retrospective cohort study. The results showed that compared to pregnant women who did not use e-cigarettes, those who used e-cigarettes during pregnancy had a 19% increased risk of high-risk births (such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and birth defects) and fetal death, especially among pregnant women using menthol and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes, where the risk of fetal death increased by 3.27 times. Therefore, it is recommended that e-cigarette users be encouraged to quit smoking before and during early pregnancy to prevent adverse effects on birth outcomes.