Association of Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Birth Weight With Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Children Aged 11 or 12 Years: The Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 Eye Study -

Association of Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Birth Weight With Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Children Aged 11 or 12 Years: The Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 Eye Study
Information type: Other primary research
Source: JAMA Opthalmology
Specialities: Eyes and vision | Obstetrics and gynaecology | Paediatric and neonatal medicine
Summary
Analysis of 1323 Danish children noted exposure to maternal smoking during uterine life and low birth weight were independently linked to having thinner retinal nerve fiber layer at age 11 to 12 years. These findings reinforce smoking avoidance during pregnancy.
UKMi comment
A commentary notes that although a difference of 5 to 6 μm in average circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness is unlikely to translate into a detectable difference in visual function in children aged 12 to 13 years, the risk of subsequent development of visual impairment should not be overlooked. It adds that whether thinner RNFL in the children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy will increase the risk of developing optic neuropathies and neurodegenerative disorders is an important question for future studies
Related links: Commentary