j. perinat. Med. The effect of maternal smoke exposure on the infrastructure of fetal H (1986) 309 peripheral blood vessels in the mouse

The harmful effect of maternal cigarette smoking on the fetus is variable and may result in "only" a decrease in weight or may cause death by abruptio placenta [10]. In adults, smoking causes pathological changes in the cardiovascular system [9]. Some authors have proposed that smoking during pregnancy may also cause pathological changes in the cardiovascular system of the fetus that would increase the risk of heart and peripheral vascular disease in adulthood [2, 4]. The placenta and umbilical cord vessels of human fetuses whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have been found to contain ultrastructural changes [1—5], These changes were seen in the fetal vessels that are closest to the point of noxious transfer. This study was done to determine if similar ultrastructural changes could be seen in fetal peripheral vessels far removed from the point of noxious transfer. Because of the relative unavailability of human fetal tissue for ultrastructural study, an animal model of smoking during pregnancy was chosen to carry out this project.