E-cigarette use during pregnancy and its association with adverse birth outcomes in the US.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the association between e-cigarette use during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in the US. The study uses data from the Population assessment of Tobacco and health (PaTh) study to examine factors that may be associated with behavioral changes in e-cigarette use before and during pregnancy, as well as the association between e-cigarette use before and during pregnancy on adverse birth outcomes. The study also explores the association between vape flavorings and adverse birth outcomes.

Key Points:

* The study found that pregnant women who quit vaping before pregnancy or had any use during pregnancy showed non-differential risk of having a high-risk birth compared to women who did not initiate vaping.
* however, the usage of mint/menthol flavor was correlated with higher risk of fetus death.
* The study controlled for various factors such as social factors, personal beliefs and health, and cigarette smoking status.
* The study used unweighted logistic regressions to estimate the association between factors and behavior changes of e-cigarettes use during pregnancy, as well as the associations between e-cigarette use and birth outcomes.
* The study also performed multiple imputation to account for missing values.
* The study found that african american women were more likely to experience a fetus death compared to their White counterparts.
* The study also found that women who considered e-cigarettes as harmful as cigarettes were less likely to initiate e-cigarette use and more likely to quit e-cigarette use during pregnancy.

Main Message:
The main message of the study is that healthcare providers should encourage e-cigarette users to quit prior to and during early pregnancy. The study highlights the importance of understanding factors that can influence behavioral changes in e-cigarette use before and during pregnancy, and the need for effective interventions and counseling services to mitigate e-cigarette use during pregnancy. The study also emphasizes the potential harm of vape flavorings, specifically mint/menthol flavor, on fetal development and the need for further research in this area.

Lin SY, Wang L, Zhou W, Kitsantas P, Wen X, Xue h. E-cigarette use during pregnancy and its association with adverse birth outcomes in the US. Preventive medicine. 2023;166:107375. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107375