Testing Causal Effects of Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy on Offspring’s Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior

Maternal smoking during pregnancy (SDP) is associated with increased risk of externalizing and internalizing behaviors in offspring. Two explanations (not mutually exclusive) for this association are direct causal effects of maternal SDP and the effects of genetic and environmental factors common to parents and offspring which increase smoking as well as problem behaviors. Here, we examined the associations between parental SDP and mother rated offspring externalizing and internalizing behaviors (rated by the Child Behavior Checklist/2–3) at age three in a population-based sample of Dutch twin... Mehr ...