Authors:
Haynes A, Cooper MN, Bower C, Jones TW, Davis EA
Authors notes:
Diabetologia. 2013;online:1-4
Keywords:
Epidemiology, Maternal smoking, Type 1 diabetes
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and type 1 diabetes in the offspring, using complete population data sources available in Western Australia.
The unadjusted HR for babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy being diagnosed with childhood type 1 diabetes was 0.70.
After adjustment, the confidence interval widened but the point estimate remained relatively unchanged at 0.76.
Analyses of data from this population-based study indicate that maternal smoking during pregnancy may be associated with a reduced risk of childhood type 1 diabetes.
Further investigation in larger populations with more detailed smoking data could lead to novel hypotheses regarding mechanisms that influence the immunopathogenesis of type 1 diabetes in early life.