Parental Tobacco Smoking and Caregiving in the Perinatal and Early Infancy Periods

Tobacco use continues to be a prevalent behavior among many mothers and fathers throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. The current review provides a framework for understanding parental tobacco smoking during a critical period of child development and its potential impact on postpartum caregiving. It is well documented that maternal illicit substance use can compromise caregiving, increasing the risk of child neglect and maltreatment. However, to date, few studies have specifically investigated the impact of tobacco smoking among mothers and fathers during the prenatal and postpartum periods and how parental tobacco smoking may influence postpartum caregiving. We review current literature on parental tobacco smoking, with a predominant focus on mothers who use tobacco, and the potential impact on postpartum caregiving with a view to informing and tailoring tobacco-cessation programs for expectant and new parents who smoke tobacco.