A recent clinical trial was published in JAMA, has shown a relationship between Vitamin C supplementation, Pregnant women who have not quit smoking and fetal lung function of such women. It was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in which Vitamin C supplementation was given to women who were unable to quit smoking despite repeated, standardized brief smoking cessation counseling.
Researchers who conducted this clinical trial found that lung function of the fetus in the first week of life was approximately 10% better in women who had received Vitamin C supplementation compared to women who had received placebo. Prevalence of wheeze in first-year-old life was also lower (21%) in Vitamin C group compared to that in the placebo group (40%). However, there was no difference in pulmonary function tests at 1 year among infants in the vitamin C groups vs placebo groups. Research also states “Among a subgroup of mothers who had genotyping performed, the effect of vitamin C supplementation was associated with the α5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genotype, further highlighting the importance of gene-environment interactions in respiratory outcomes.”
Smoking during pregnancy is a serious threat to the health of both mother and the fetus. Smoking during pregnancy can cause adverse effects to the health of fetus which includes reduced lung function, altered control of breathing, increased respiratory symptoms in infancy, and an increased risk of asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
