Prenatal smoking exposure is one of the most common insults during the fetal period prevalence varying from 5 to 19% in the European countries [1].

Prenatal smoking exposure increases the risk of psychiatric morbidity in the offspring, externalizing disorders in particular. However, less is known whether maternal smoking during pregnancy increases the risk for anxiety disorders [1].

To study the associations between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring psychiatric morbidity in early adulthood in a Finnish birth cohort study.

A prospective data collection from 10th gestational week (GW10) to early adulthood (n = 475, 37% from the original sample). Information on self-reported smoking during pregnancy was collected using questionnaires at GW10 and GW28. Offspring psychiatric diagnoses and clinically relevant symptoms were assessed using Development and Well-being Assessment (DAWBA)-interviews at age 18 to 20 years. Information on parental alcohol use, depressive mood, anxiety, and education level, as well as offspring's gender, education level, and birth weight were used as covariates.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy associated independently associated with PTSD (OR = 6.9, 95% CI 1.3–35.6, P = 0.021), and conduct disorder (OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.02–6.9, P = 0.046) in a multivariate analysis after adjusting for other psychiatric diagnoses, offspring and parental variables (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 0.5–6.9, P = 0.359).

In addition to conduct problems, prenatal nicotine exposure may increase the offspring's risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This relationship may be explained, in part, by effects on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and uteroplacental mechanisms [1].

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.