Dr. Steven R. Myer’s, is currently Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Dr. Myer’s came to Campbellsville University and spoke about his research on: Smoking During Pregnancy.

Steve Myer’s states that, “cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including truly nasty things like cyanide, lead, and at least 60 cancer-causing compounds.” When woman smoke during pregnancy, the toxic brew gets into there bloodstream and that’s the baby's only source of oxygen and nutrients. A shortage of oxygen can have devastating effects on the baby's growth and development. On average, smoking during pregnancy doubles the chances that a baby will be born too early or weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds at birth. Smoking also more than doubles the risk of stillbirth.

Every cigarette a women smokes increases the risks of her pregnancy. “A few cigarettes a day are safer than a whole pack, but the difference isn't as great as people would think, states Meyer’s. A smoker's body is especially sensitive to the first doses of nicotine each day, and even just one or two cigarettes will significantly tighten blood vessels. That's why even a light habit can have an outsize effect on the baby's health. On average, a pack-a-day habit during pregnancy will shave about a half-pound from a baby's birth weight. Smoking two packs a day throughout a pregnancy could make the baby a full pound or more lighter. While some women may welcome the prospect of delivering a smaller baby, stunting a baby's growth in the womb can have negative consequences that last a lifetime. Steve Myer’s also talked about, 4-Aminobiphenyl in cigarette’s, which is an amine derivative of biphenyl. It is used to manufacture azo dyes, known as a human carcinogen 4-Aminobiphenyl is shown below in Figure 1.¹

 Figure1

Molecular Formula: C₁₂H₁₁N

Molecular Weight: 169.22 g mol⁻¹

Melting Point: 52−54 °C

Boiling Point: 302 °C

Solubility in Water: practically insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol, ether and chloroform

Steve Myer’s said, studies are currently ongoing to determine the relationships between maternal and fetal metabolism. In an extension of Meyer’s studies, they are also developing the application of amniotic fluid as a biomarker of carcinogen exposure detected in the first trimester of pregnancy and developing assays for the detection of breast milk biomarkers that can be applied to women that are breast-feeding their neonates.

Overall, I think Steve Myer’s did a wonderful job on his presentation about his research on smoking during pregnancy, not only was his presentation interesting, but it was also very informative.

References:

1.      Sigma Aldrich. 2-aminbiphenyl. http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/ProductDetail.do?D7=0&N5=SEARCH_CONCAT_PNO%7CBRAND_KEY&N4=A42409%7CSIAL&N25=0&QS=ON&F=SPEC