>>> RESEARCHERS FROM MOUNT HOLYOKE RELEASED A NEW STUDY
THAT SHOWS SOME CONCERN FOR WOMEN WHO VAPE DURING PREGNANCY.
THE STUDY SHOWS THE LIQUID USED TO FORM E JUICE IN VAPES COULD
HAVE NEUROLOGICAL EFFECTS ON THE BABY.
WE SPOKE TO A PROFESSOR AND STUDENT TO LEARN MORE.
>> THE QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF VAPING DURING
PREGNANCY.
VAPING HAS COME ON THE MARKET AS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO
CIGARETTES, AND EVEN THAT IS A BIT OF A CHARGED COMMENT.
WE DON'T KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF VAPING TO THE DEVELOPING
CHILD, AND DO THEY HAVE ANY LASTING CONSEQUENCES.
AND THESE ARE ETHICALLY CHALLENGING QUESTIONS TO ASK IN
HUMANS, SO WE USE MICE TO HELP ADDRESS THEM.
>> SO JAMIE, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE STUDY.
>> WE CHALLENGED THE MOTHERS DURING PREGNANCY.
WE EXPOSED THEM TO ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE VAPORS, WITH OR
WITHOUT NICOTINE, AND WE ASKED THEM BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS ON THE
ADULT OFF SPRING.
SO THE ADULT OFF SPRING FROM THE MOTHERS
EXPOSED TO ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE VAPOR WITH NICOTINE SHOWED
ELEVATIONS IN ACTIVITY, OR HYPERACTIVITY.
AND THAT'S NOT SURPRISING GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE EFFECTS
OF NICOTINE FROM TOBACCO SMOKE.
INTERESTINGLY, HOWEVER, THE OFFSPRING FROM MOTHERS EXPOSED
TO THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE VAPOR ALONE SHOWED DEFICITS IN
LEARNING AND MEMORY.
TO A LESSER EXTENT WE ALSO SAW THESE EFFECTS IN OFFSPRING FROM
OTHERS EXPOSED TO E CIGARETTE VAPORS WITH NICOTINE.
>> SO THAT OBVIOUSLY IS A HUGE CONCERN FOR ANY PARENT OUT
THERE.
WE'RE SO SENSITIVE NOW TO LEARNING DISABILITIES AND TRYING
TO HELP KIDS NAVIGATE MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES AND THIS IS
ANOTHER LAYER.
SO THAT'S AN INTERESTING FIND.
>> RIGHT.
I THINK IT'S SO POWERFUL, BECAUSE THE VAPING WORLD IS
USING A LIQUID TO DISSOLVE THEIR THC OR NICOTINE AND THESE
SUBSTANES HAVEN'T BEEN REGULATED FOR BREATHING IN THAT
WAY.
THEY'RE REALLY MEANT FOR OTHER USES, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE
CONSEQUENCES ARE OF NOT JUST THE NICOTINE BUT THE OTHER
SUBSTANCES THAT YOU'RE VAPING IN.
>> OBVIOUSLY NICOTINE IS A PROBLEM.
BUT I THINK YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE,
MAYBE SOMEBODY WHO IS A SMOKER SAYS WELL THIS WILL BE MUCH
SAFER DURING MY NINE MONTHS OF PREGNANCY.
>> RIGHT.
>> CERTAINLY THAT'S HOW THE WHOLE VAPING THING HAS BEEN
PITCHED.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, AND THAT'S A CHALLENGING STATEMENT TO MAKE
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESEARCH TO SUPPORT IT OR REFUTE
IT.
I THINK OUTSIDE OF PREGNANCY THERE IS SOME RESEARCH THAT
SUGGESTS THAT VAPING MAY BE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE TO SMOKING,
IF SOMEONE IS ALREADY A SMOKER.
BUT HOW THAT TRANSLATES TO A PREGNANCY WHICH IS A MUCH MORE
SENSITIVE TIME, THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS TRANSLATE BECAUSE WE
DON'T KNOW WHAT VAPING IS DOING TO THE DEVELOPING FETUS.
IF IT IS SAFER THAN TOBACCO CIGARETTES.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR LEARNING PROBLEMS
BECAUSE OF VAPING, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP IN THE STUDY?
HOW DO YOU CONTINUE THIS?
>> SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE INTERESTED IN, WE'RE LOOKED AT
THE LONG-TERM EFFECT ON ADULT OFFSPRING BEHAVIOR.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO EXAMINE THE OTHER CONSTITUENTS WITHIN E
CIGARETTES, THE LIQUID USED TO DISSOLVE NICOTINE, BUT THERE ARE
OTHER CONSTITUENTS.
SO SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN LOOK AT ARE THE FLAVORINGS THAT ARE
ADDED.
THOSE HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR EATING AND THEY'RE ADDED TO
CERTAIN FOODS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES WHEN YOU INHALE
THEM.
AND THE VEHICLE USED TO DISSOLVE THE NICOTINE IS SOMETHING
COMMONLY FOUND IN FOR INSTANCE A FOG MACHINE.
SO POPULATIONS THAT REGULARLY ENGAGE WITH THAT MACHINERY SAY
IN THEATER PRODUCTION WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT IF ANY EFFECTS THERE
ARE FOR BEING REGULARLY EXPOSED TO THAT.
>> WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE YOU'VE GOTTEN SO FAR ON THIS
STUDY?
>> CERTAINLY A LOT OF INTEREST IN IT.
THE STUDY RIGHT NOW IS UNDER REVIEW WITH THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY, SO ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PIECES OF RESEARCH IS
SLOWING DOWN AND SHARING IT WITH A BUDGE OF OUR PEERS IN THE
COMMUNITY AND LETTING THEM LOOK AT IT AND SCRUTINIZE IT AND MAKE
SURE WE'VE CONTROLLED PROPERLY, WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THE DATA THE
RIGHT WAY.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S UNDER REVIEW, BY A JOURNAL, AND WE'RE WAITING
TO HEAR BACK WHAT THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY FEELS ABOUT THE STUDY,
HOW WE MIGHT WANT TO POSITION IT IN A WAY THAT ACCURATELY
REPRESENTS THE DATA WE HAVE.
AND HOPING THAT THE END RESULT IS A STRONGER REPRESENTATION OF
THE WORK WE'VE DONE.
>> HOW LONG DID THE STUDY TAKE YOU?
>> WE STARTED THE FALL, IT BEGAN IN THE FALL OF 2018 WHEN WE WERE
CONDUCTING THE BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS.
SO THIS WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
>> WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT VAPING, RIGHT NOW CERTAINLY BEING A
POLITICALLY CHARGED SUBJECT, THERE'S A RECENT BAN IN
MASSACHUSETTS WHICH PEOPLE HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ON BOTH SIDE OF
THE AISLE.
HERE YOU HAVE THIS STUDY IN THE MIDST OF THAT.
>> RIGHT.
>> IT'S AN INTERESTING TOPIC THAT YOU CHOSE.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE BAN AND WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS WHOLE,
I GUESS, VAPING, WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS GOING IN THE FUTURE?
>> SO THE CHALLENGE WITH RESPONDING TO THE BAN IS THAT WE
DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY TO MAKE
AN EDUCATED ASSESSMENT.
I THINK THE RISE OF VAPING HAS HAPPENED IN THE POPULARITY OF IT
HAPPENED AT A MUCH FASTER PACE THAN WHAT SCIENCE CAN KEEP UP
WITH.
SO POLICY SHOULD BE MADE BASED ON INFORMED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH,
AND WE DON'T HAVE THE RESEARCH TO SUPPORT OR TO UNDERSTAND THE
SITUATION.
I THINK THERE'S A LONG HISTORY OF NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES TO
PROHIBITION, AND I THINK GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE TO
THINK CAREFULFULLY ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF
PROHIBITION, AND THINKING ABOUT RISK VERSUS BENEFIT.
IS IT PROHIBITION OR REGULATION THAT WILL LEAD TO THE MOST
BENEFICIAL OUTCOME FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.
>> JAMIE, TELL ME ABOUT THE POPULATION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING
AT AS FAR AS THOSE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO VAPE.
>> SO WE KNOW THAT THE MOST COMMON POPULATION WHO IS VAPING
ARE THOSE OF CHILD BEARING AGE. AND THAT WHILE ELECTRONIC
CIGARETTES ARE BEING TOUTED AS A SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO TOBACCO
CIGARETTES, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE SAFE.
SO OUR STUDY WAS LOOKING AT MICE, WHICH DOESN'T TRANCE LIT
100% TO HUMANS, BUT THESE FINDINGS MAKE ME REFLECT ON THE
CHOICES I MADE AS A PREGNANT PERSON, AND WHAT ARE THE
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THAT ON THE HEALTH OF MY OFFSPRING
THE BRAIN IS VULNERABLE TO ITS ENVIRONMENT BEGINNING IN UTERO.
SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE CHOICES THAT A PREGNANT PERSON
COULD BE MAKING SO THAT WE HAVE THE HEALTHIEST CHILDREN COMING
FORWARD.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WELL INFORMED
PRENATAL CARE.
>> AND YOU LOOKED AT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AS WELL?
>> YES, IN FACT THAT'S ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR STUDY IS
THAT THE LIQUID THAT WE USED TO DISSOLVE THE NICOTINE THAT IS
COMMONLY USED IN VAPE PRODUCTS HAVE LASTING CONSEQUENCES,
LASTING CHANGES ON THE OFFSPRING'S BRAIN CHEMISTRY.
WE'RE SEEING DIFFERENCES IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OR THE HEALTH OF
THE BRAIN.
WE'RE NOT SURE YET WHAT IT MEANS AND HOW IT TRANSLATES, BUT TO
THINK THAT A MOTHER WHO IS VAPING DURING PREGNANCY COULD
LEAD TO DIFFERENCES IN BRAIN THOALT THEIR CHILD, WAY INTO
ADULTHOOD, IS A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL FINDING.