Prenatal nicotine exposure and impact on the behaviors of offspring

The harmful effects of tobacco smoking during pregnancy on prenatal development of the human brain are becoming an increasingly important public health issue, due to the resultant cognitive and emotional abnormalities that disturb the whole life of offspring and add to the burden of society. Nicotine replacement treatments are applied as an aid to smoking cessation during pregnancy. However, nicotine itself is thought responsible for the various neurobehavioral effects of tobacco smoke. A wealth of pharmacological studies has reported the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure (PNE) on fetal brain development and various behaviors of offspring using animal models of PNE. These reports improve our knowledge of the long-lasting adverse effects of PNE and strongly urge further considerations for nicotine exposure during any periods of pregnancy. Here, we discuss the effects of PNE on emotional, cognitive, and addictive behaviors in offspring.