Maternal smoking, alcohol drinking, and febrile convulsion

BACKGROUND Previous studies have suggested that maternal cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking during pregnancy may increase risk for febrile convulsion during childhood. We evaluated the relationship of maternal smoking, alcohol drinking, and their interaction on febrile convulsion. METHOD Pregnant women (n=10,108) enrolled in the Child Health and Development Studies in California between 1959 and 1966 were interviewed about their habits during pregnancy and febrile convulsions of the child were ascertained soon after an event. RESULTS Febrile convulsions were reported in 2.9% of children of mothers who both smoked and drank alcohol, 2.0% for children of mothers who smoked but did not drink, 1.5% for children of mothers who drank but did not smoke and 2.1% of children of mothers who neither smoked nor drank. After adjusting for covariates, children of smokers who did not drink and children of drinkers who did not smoke did not have a significant hazard for febrile convulsion, compared to children of non-smokers non-drinkers. However, children of smokers who drank had a 30% increased hazard of febrile convulsion (95% CI=1.0, 1.9). The interaction term for smoking and alcohol drinking was significant in the multivariable model (p=0.02). CONCLUSION These results suggest that children of mothers who both smoke and drink alcohol during pregnancy may have a higher risk for febrile convulsions.