Maternal smoking in pregnancy, child behavior problems, and adolescent smoking

We previously reported that maternal prenatal smoking had a significant effect on adolescent daughters' smoking, especially current smoking. Using a longitudinal sample of 187 mother-child dyads, we examine the role of child behavior problems in potentially explaining this effect. Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with higher levels of child behavior problems, particularly among girls. Childhood behavior problems increase the likelihood of lifetime smoking among daughters but do not explain the effect of prenatal maternal smoking on their current smoking. Maternal smoking in pregnancy, especially heavy use of a pack or more a day, retains a unique effect on girls' current smoking with controls for current maternal smoking, child behavior problems, and maternal monitoring of the child. The effect of maternal prenatal smoking is suggestive of a biological component, which may have direct or indirect influences on adolescent smoking. The small number of cases in the study calls for the replication of these findings in large samples that would incorporate prospective measures of prenatal nicotine exposure from mo ther and fa ther and additional biological and psychosocial covariates. Implications for understanding the risk factors for adolescent smoking are discussed.