According to a recent Swedish study, consuming snus, a non-smokable tobacco presented in the form of wet powder, during pregnancy increases the risk of unexpected infant death (SIDS) threefold.
- Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome is the death of a child aged between 1 month and 1 year who was healthy until then, although nothing in his or her history could have let it be predicted. Death most often occurs during sleep.
- This is the first circumstance of death in infants aged 28 days to 1 year, with 250 to 350 children affected each year, according to Public Health France.
- Snus is very rich in nicotine, but unlike cigarettes, it does not contain any oxidizing product and is therefore considered less harmful to health. But it has a high risk of dependence in case of regular consumption.
Infants whose mothers consumed snus – a non-smokable tobacco presented in the form of a moist powder packed in a white sachet to be placed between the upper lip and the gum – during pregnancy run a three times higher risk of unexpected death. (MIN), according to a recent study by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The results of the latter were put online February 9, 2023 in the magazine Pediatric Research.
The risk was much lower if the mother had stopped taking snus before the first prenatal visit. The researchers therefore conclude that all types of nicotine products should be avoided during pregnancy.
Snus would increase the risk of infant death by 70% in the first year
Although smoking during pregnancy is known to be a risk factor for MIN, little research has been done on snus. The Swedish team therefore conducted a registry study including more than 2 million babies born in Sweden between 1999 and 2019. During this period, only two out of 10,000 babies suffered from MIN.
When enrolled in maternal care, just over 1% of mothers took snus and 7% smoked. Consumption of snus during pregnancy was associated with a 70% increased risk of infant death in the first year from any cause, and a threefold increase in the risk of unexpected infant death. The risks associated with snus consumption were comparable to moderate smoking (one to nine cigarettes per day). The highest risks were associated with smoking more than ten cigarettes a day. However, stopping snus and cigarettes early in pregnancy, before the first antenatal clinic appointment, reduced the risk compared with continued use.
“All nicotine products should be avoided during pregnancy”
By linking different registries, the researchers were able to fit for a number of important potential risk factors for MIN, such as socioeconomic status and maternal age. However, the researchers are unable to establish causal relationships, as unknown factors could have impacted the results.
“Fortunately, unexpected infant death is a very rare occurrence, but we can see that taking snus or smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk”said pediatrician Anna Gunnerbeck, a researcher in the department of medicine at Karolinska Institutet, in a communicated. “Given the dramatic increase in snus consumption among young women of childbearing age, women should be made aware of the potential risk to fetuses and infantsshe adds. Our study indicates that nicotine is a risk factor for unexpected infant death syndrome, so we conclude that all types of nicotine products should be avoided during pregnancy.”