Nicotine Exposure in Cigarettes Can Trigger Hearing Loss in Babies

The trial results showed that neurons receiving input from the cochlea (a sensory organ in the ear) were not very effective at transmitting signals to other auditory brainstem neurons in nicotine-exposed mice.

In addition, these signals are transmitted with less precision, which ultimately worsens the coding of the sound pattern. This could be part of the underlying cause of auditory processing difficulties in children of mothers who are heavy smokers.

“We don’t know how many other parts of the auditory system are affected by nicotine exposure,” said Professor at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany and lead researcher Ursula Koch, citing Click doctor, Friday (24/9/2021).

“More research is needed on the cumulative effects of nicotine exposure and the molecular mechanisms of how nicotine affects the development of neurons in the auditory brainstem.”

Koch added that if mothers smoked during pregnancy and their children show learning difficulties in school, then they should be tested for auditory processing deficits.

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