Pregnant Teens Increasingly Using E-Cigarettes

TUESDAY, Dec. 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant adolescents in the United States are increasingly using electronic cigarettes, but use during late pregnancy is not significantly associated with an increased risk for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth, according to a study published online Dec. 13 in JAMA Network Open.

Xiaozhong Wen, M.D., Ph.D., from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and colleagues examined yearly trends, sociodemographic and pregnancy-related determinants, and the association with SGA birth with e-cigarette and/or cigarette use during late pregnancy among adolescents. The analysis included data from 10,428 U.S. adolescents (aged 10 to 19 years) participating in the 2016 to 2021 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.

The researchers found that the weighted prevalence of exclusive e-cigarette use during late pregnancy increased from 0.8 percent in 2016 to 4.1 percent in 2021, while the prevalence of exclusive cigarette use decreased from 9.2 percent in 2017 to 3.2 percent in 2021. Dual use prevalence fluctuated, ranging from 0.6 to 1.6 percent. E-cigarette use was more likely among White pregnant adolescents than those who self-identified as another race and ethnicity (2.7 versus 1.0 percent for American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.8 percent for Asian or other race, 0.6 percent for Black, and 0.7 percent for multiracial adolescents). There was no statistically significant difference seen in risk for SGA birth among adolescents who exclusively used e-cigarettes versus those who did not use either product (16.8 versus 12.9 percent) or who used cigarettes and e-cigarettes (17.6 versus 12.9 percent). Among adolescents who exclusively used cigarettes, risk for SGA birth was higher (24.6 versus 12.9 percent).

"This finding should be interpreted with caution given the low prevalence of use and the limited sample size," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to industry.

Abstract/Full Text