Twins and maternal smoking: ordeals for the fetal origins hypothesis? A cohort study

Williams S, Poulton R

1999

Dunedin, New Zealand

The authors followed up a cohort of 1139 twins born in 1972-3. Blood pressures were evaluated at ages 9 and 18 years. Twins had lower birth weight and lower blood pressure at age 9 and 18 than singletons. The infants of smokers were smaller and had higher blood pressure at both ages. According to the authors this may be explained by pharmacological rather than nutritional effects.

See also entries 0075, 0090 and 0095.