Preterm Birth, Developmental Smoke/Nicotine Exposure, and Life-Long Pulmonary Sequelae

This review delineates the main pulmonary issues related to preterm birth, perinatal tobacco/nicotine exposure, and its effects on offspring, focusing on respiratory health and its possible transmission to subsequent generations. We review the extent of the problem of preterm birth, prematurity-related pulmonary effects, and the associated increased risk of asthma later in life. We then review the impact of developmental tobacco/nicotine exposure on offspring asthma and the significance of transgenerational pulmonary effects following perinatal tobacco/nicotine exposure, possibly via its effects on germline epigenetics.