Mylavarapu M, Chavali SM, Buddharaju AD, Veldurthy S, Cheruvu P, Parikh AG. Vaping during pregnancy and its impact on neonatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; 15(1): 108069 [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.108069]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Maneeth Mylavarapu, MD, AI Cardiology, Advanced Imaging Research Fellow, Department of Cardiology, Endeavor Health Cardiovascular Institute, Glenview, IL 60026, United States. dr.maneeth.mylavarapu@gmail.com
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Pediatrics
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Meta-Analysis
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Mar 9, 2026 (publication date) through Mar 9, 2026
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Publication Name
World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics
ISSN
2219-2808
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Mylavarapu M, Chavali SM, Buddharaju AD, Veldurthy S, Cheruvu P, Parikh AG. Vaping during pregnancy and its impact on neonatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; 15(1): 108069 [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.108069]
World J Clin Pediatr. Mar 9, 2026; 15(1): 108069 Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.108069
Vaping during pregnancy and its impact on neonatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Maneeth Mylavarapu, Sree Mahathi Chavali, Ananya D Buddharaju, Sruthi Veldurthy, Pratyusha Cheruvu, Abhinav G Parikh
Maneeth Mylavarapu, Department of Cardiology, Endeavor Health Cardiovascular Institute, Glenview, IL 60026, United States
Sree Mahathi Chavali, Department of Pediatrics, New York Presbyterian Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 11215, United States
Ananya D Buddharaju, Department of Pediatrics, ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Hyderabad 500038, Telangāna, India
Sruthi Veldurthy, Department of Pediatrics, Mediciti Institute of Medical Sciences, Ghanpur 501401, Telangāna, India
Pratyusha Cheruvu, Department of Pediatrics, Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad 500003, Telangāna, India
Abhinav G Parikh, Department of Neonatology, New York Presbyterian Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 11215, United States
Co-first authors: Maneeth Mylavarapu and Sree Mahathi Chavali.
Author contributions: Mylavarapu M and Chavali M contributed to the design and implementation of the study and supervision; Mylavarapu M, Chavali M, Buddharaju AD, Veldurthy S, and Cheruvu NP contributed to the methodology, including the statistical analyses; Mylavarapu M contributed to visualization; Mylavarapu M, Chavali M, Buddharaju AD, Veldurthy S, Cheruvu NP, and Parikh AG contributed to writing the manuscript; Mylavarapu M, Chavali M, and Parikh AG contributed to reviewing and editing the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA checklist of items.
Corresponding author: Maneeth Mylavarapu, MD, AI Cardiology, Advanced Imaging Research Fellow, Department of Cardiology, Endeavor Health Cardiovascular Institute, Glenview, IL 60026, United States. dr.maneeth.mylavarapu@gmail.com
Received: April 8, 2025 Revised: May 29, 2025 Accepted: November 5, 2025 Published online: March 9, 2026 Processing time: 336 Days and 7.9 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Vaping during pregnancy is becoming more prevalent, with nearly 7% of individuals using e-cigarettes. This increase may result from tobacco companies targeting younger users with e-cigarette marketing, similar to their strategies with traditional tobacco. While e-cigarette use continues to rise, evidence regarding its effects on neonatal outcomes remains inconsistent.
AIM
To examine research on the connection between vaping during pregnancy and negative neonatal outcomes, exploring the potential adverse effects.
METHODS
According to PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a thorough review of studies from PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science for eligible studies that reported on vaping during pregnancy and its effects on neonatal outcomes, including low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). We utilized binary random-effects models to estimate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). A P value of ≤ 0.05 was deemed statistically significant.
RESULTS
A total of 14 studies with 523273 pregnant women were included in the analysis. Of them, 3840 (0.7%) vaped during pregnancy. In comparison to pregnant women who did not vape, neonates born to those who vaped had significantly higher odds of LBW (OR: 1.60; 95%CI: 1.23-2.09; P = 0.0005) and SGA (OR: 1.73; 95%CI: 1.34-2.22; P < 0.0001), as well as higher odds of PTB (OR: 1.95; 95%CI: 0.74-5.14; P = 0.17).
CONCLUSION
Vaping during pregnancy is significantly associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, LBW, and SGA, emphasizing the potential risks of vaping during pregnancy and highlighting the necessity for public health initiatives to increase awareness and develop preventive strategies.
Core Tip: Vaping during pregnancy is associated with significantly increased odds of low birth weight and small for gestational age, highlighting potential adverse neonatal outcomes. Pregnant individuals who vape, despite a lower overall prevalence, face heightened risks for these complications. These findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions and further research to understand the long-term impacts of prenatal e-cigarette exposure.
