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is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States. Nicotine, which is an alkaloid derived from the plant, is a potent chemical that has powerful effects on the human body, especially when administered rapidly or at high doses. Prenatal expos ....

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.... placenta and has direct effects on the developing fetus. Pre-clinical studies suggest that maternal smoking during pregnancy produces changes on the offspring's neural functioning, including reductions in uptake of serotonin, alterations in dopaminergic systems, alterations in peripheral and central noradrenergic neurons, and changes in DNA and RNA synthesis in the brain (9). Children prenatally exposed to nicotine consistently score lower in the two subcategories of expressive language and conceptual comprehension. Evidence from studies of human neonates suggests that maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with increased rates of neurobeha ....