Adrienne
Well-known member
My father smoked heavily until he was in his 70's.
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Guest
geebee said:
Ditto for me.
But, my goodness, can you see the smoke coming out of VR.com's Family Chimney?
Cort:33swm."Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
MCinfo.hobbies.RTs.pics.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"You really think you're in control?" ... Gnarls Barkley ... 'Crazy'
yankeeman
Well-known member
Both my parents were heavy smokers
Both my parents were heavy smokers
My mother in fact died of lung cancer.
I have always wondered whether she quit during pregnancy but I assume she did not.
Smoking in those days (the 40s) was almost universal. As was drinking. It was a different era.
Not sure if the smoke caused my bicuspid aortic valve but I doubt it helped much.
Good question.
Both my parents were heavy smokers
My mother in fact died of lung cancer.
I have always wondered whether she quit during pregnancy but I assume she did not.
Smoking in those days (the 40s) was almost universal. As was drinking. It was a different era.
Not sure if the smoke caused my bicuspid aortic valve but I doubt it helped much.
Good question.
MelissaM
Well-known member
Interesting topic - here's a couple of academic articles on the subject. My mom and dad both smoked.
Original Article
Parental cigarette smoking and risk for congenital anomalies of the heart, neural tube, or limb
Abstract
Risks for selected congenital anomalies from parental smoking were investigated in a case-control study in California. Mothers of 207 infants with conotruncal heart defects, 264 infants with neural tube defects, 178 infants with limb deficiencies, and 481 live born control infants delivered in 1987-1988 were interviewed by telephone. Modestly elevated risks were observed for conotruncal heart defects and limb deficiencies, associated primarily with both parents smoking. An odds ratio of 1.9 (95 percent confidence interval 1.2-3.1) was observed for conotruncal heart defects and an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% confidence interval 0.96-2.9) for limb deficiencies when both parents smoked compared to neither parent smoking. We did not observe increased risks associated with maternal smoking in the absence of paternal smoking, although an increased risk associated with paternal smoking in the absence of maternal smoking was observed for limb deficiencies in offspring. For conotruncal defects, the risks associated with parental smoking differed among race/ethnic groups. Parental smoking was not associated with increased risks for neural tube defects. Observed risks did not change substantially when adjusted for maternal vitamin use, alcohol use, and gravidity. Some heterogeneity in risk was observed for phenotypic case subgroups, but data were too sparse to draw firm inferences. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/63859/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Maternal smoking and congenital heart defects
Abstract The Swedish Child Cardiology Registry (CCR) and the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR) were used to investigate a possible association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and congenital heart defects. Among 1,413,811 infants born in 1983–1996 with known smoking exposure in early pregnancy, 3384 infants with congenital heart defects were selected (458 term infants with persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) identified from MBR or CCR, and 2926 infants with other heart defects, identified from CCR). After controlling for year of birth, maternal age, parity, and educational level, a weak, statistically significant association between all heart defects and maternal smoking was found (odds ratio (OR): 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.19). When infants with isolated PDA were removed from the case group the significance disappeared (OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.98–1.17). For truncus abnormalities (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02–1.49), atrial septal defects (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.04–2.57), and PDA (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05–1.62), a rather strong effect of maternal smoking was indicated. The increased OR for PDA remained when gestational duration and intrauterine growth was also controlled for. Further research based on independent data sets is needed to conclude whether the risk estimates for maternal smoking are true and truly differ between the groups. The classification system used (with 24 classes) is described in enough detail to permit a repetition of the study.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/t3620242p00t4483/
Original Article
Parental cigarette smoking and risk for congenital anomalies of the heart, neural tube, or limb
Abstract
Risks for selected congenital anomalies from parental smoking were investigated in a case-control study in California. Mothers of 207 infants with conotruncal heart defects, 264 infants with neural tube defects, 178 infants with limb deficiencies, and 481 live born control infants delivered in 1987-1988 were interviewed by telephone. Modestly elevated risks were observed for conotruncal heart defects and limb deficiencies, associated primarily with both parents smoking. An odds ratio of 1.9 (95 percent confidence interval 1.2-3.1) was observed for conotruncal heart defects and an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% confidence interval 0.96-2.9) for limb deficiencies when both parents smoked compared to neither parent smoking. We did not observe increased risks associated with maternal smoking in the absence of paternal smoking, although an increased risk associated with paternal smoking in the absence of maternal smoking was observed for limb deficiencies in offspring. For conotruncal defects, the risks associated with parental smoking differed among race/ethnic groups. Parental smoking was not associated with increased risks for neural tube defects. Observed risks did not change substantially when adjusted for maternal vitamin use, alcohol use, and gravidity. Some heterogeneity in risk was observed for phenotypic case subgroups, but data were too sparse to draw firm inferences. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/63859/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Maternal smoking and congenital heart defects
Abstract The Swedish Child Cardiology Registry (CCR) and the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR) were used to investigate a possible association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and congenital heart defects. Among 1,413,811 infants born in 1983–1996 with known smoking exposure in early pregnancy, 3384 infants with congenital heart defects were selected (458 term infants with persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) identified from MBR or CCR, and 2926 infants with other heart defects, identified from CCR). After controlling for year of birth, maternal age, parity, and educational level, a weak, statistically significant association between all heart defects and maternal smoking was found (odds ratio (OR): 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.19). When infants with isolated PDA were removed from the case group the significance disappeared (OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.98–1.17). For truncus abnormalities (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02–1.49), atrial septal defects (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.04–2.57), and PDA (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05–1.62), a rather strong effect of maternal smoking was indicated. The increased OR for PDA remained when gestational duration and intrauterine growth was also controlled for. Further research based on independent data sets is needed to conclude whether the risk estimates for maternal smoking are true and truly differ between the groups. The classification system used (with 24 classes) is described in enough detail to permit a repetition of the study.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/t3620242p00t4483/
S
Susan BAV
yankeeman said:
Thanks. Smoking was so common then, when the later Baby Boomers (including a lot of us Valvers) came along. Also, as Karlynn mentioned, we can really harbor no hard feelings for our parents if they did smoke because it was likely contributed to by misinformation and ignorance, etc.
H-m-m-m,... As I'm previewing my spelling, I see Melissa M just posted some articles that look very interesting...
liza
Well-known member
Both my parents smoked. My mother did while she was pregnant and still does. My dad smoked til he died from a heart attack at 56 this past summer.
Neither of my parents smoked or had valve problems and yet the doctors think my condition is genetic?? Must have been the postman
My father smoked his Camels to the day he died of a brain tumor.He was 64.
Mother never smoked.
I also have been there, done that.
It is a disgusting and these days a very expensive habit. But I don't believe it has anything to do with our valve problems. We just were not born perfect.
It was very common and acceptable way back when. Many of the people we looked up to were smokers, parents, family, doctors, movie stars, politicians(well some of them ), etc.
It is a very different world these days, and people from our generation would be about the only ones to really understand what it was like 'back then'.
Mother never smoked.
I also have been there, done that.
It is a disgusting and these days a very expensive habit. But I don't believe it has anything to do with our valve problems. We just were not born perfect.
It was very common and acceptable way back when. Many of the people we looked up to were smokers, parents, family, doctors, movie stars, politicians(well some of them
), etc.It is a very different world these days, and people from our generation would be about the only ones to really understand what it was like 'back then'.
P
Phyllis Jean
My mother never smoked, but my father smoked like a freight train. He smoked Pall Mall's without a filter until the day he died. He also raised tobacco, and was around it almost year round. I was the only one in the family that had valve problems. Mine was congenital.
7
7tonemonte
Both of my parents smoked all through pregnancy, and all the years Ive known them. I lost my mom at 51 yrs old to breast cancer, supposedly not related to smoking, but Im sure it didnt help. Mom actually smoked through chemo and radiation. After her 3rd bout with it she passed away. My dad still smokes to this day, however he quits at least one or two times a year. I can remember growing up in a smoke filled house stinking like a bar when I was younger. We didnt really know in the 70s how bad the second hand smoke was. Interesting thread though, Everyone I know smokes, except me and my wife. Neither of us ever did. She had 2 parents that were smokers also. Her dad passed away last year due to cancer also. See a trend???
Tony
Tony
S
Susan BAV
7tonemonte said:
Hi Tony - I think I'm seeing a trend... And I wasn't necessarily expecting to see anything so obvious, even though I have wondered for some time if there could be a possible connection to the parental smoking and some valve issues.
What do the rest of you think? Did your folks smoke? Do you think you see a trend?
No blame though. I think it's clear here that nobody who has posted wants to blame anyone, especially for things they couldn't have known. There is so much we haven't known and still don't know connected to so many things that we consume or use even still. And will these things hurt our children and/or grandchildren? So, of course, none of us wants to blame our folks for something they couldn't have known, which may or may not have contributed to the present subject.
If most of you are like me, even on my worst day I have always been glad to be alive; and that came from my parents. So I hope no parent of a Valver will read this thread and feel badly.
S
Susan BAV
Since this fell off the first page...
Since this fell off the first page...
...I was thinking that some more Valvers might see it over this long weekend if I bump it up a bit.
Does anyone else think they see a trend here, at least toward the congenitally de/malformed valves?
Also, could you look for another current thread regarding Bicuspid patients with Coarctations of the Aorta? Another member, Karen, had evidently polled for that last winter also.
Since this fell off the first page...
...I was thinking that some more Valvers might see it over this long weekend if I bump it up a bit.
Does anyone else think they see a trend here, at least toward the congenitally de/malformed valves?
Also, could you look for another current thread regarding Bicuspid patients with Coarctations of the Aorta? Another member, Karen, had evidently polled for that last winter also.
Christina L
Well-known member
Dad smoked
Dad smoked
like a chimney (Camels) and died of a massive heart attack at age 63. Mom did not smoke but she died of breast cancer and to this day I think the many, many nights of them sitting on the couch together watching TV, with Dad chain smoking, had something to do with the breast cancer. They say that secondhand smoke is even worse than firsthand.
I have always wondered this, too, if my heart valve was a defect caused from Dad's sperm being defective from smoking. However, I was told my Granny had a heart murmur (just like me (?))- she lived until she was 85.
I tend to think that heart valve problems at birth are not always caused from parents smoking, but may be worsened by growing up as a child with parents that smoke.
This is all very interesting and troubling, but nothing I can do about it now and of course, there are absolutely no hard feelings towards my Dad - this was my lot in life and I have to accept it.
Ever since I left home, I have tried very hard to stay away from anyone that smoked. Yay for Colorado - all public buildings now are smoke-free and many hospitals (including Cleveland) have gone that route.
Christina L
Dad smoked
like a chimney (Camels) and died of a massive heart attack at age 63. Mom did not smoke but she died of breast cancer and to this day I think the many, many nights of them sitting on the couch together watching TV, with Dad chain smoking, had something to do with the breast cancer. They say that secondhand smoke is even worse than firsthand.
I have always wondered this, too, if my heart valve was a defect caused from Dad's sperm being defective from smoking. However, I was told my Granny had a heart murmur (just like me (?))- she lived until she was 85.
I tend to think that heart valve problems at birth are not always caused from parents smoking, but may be worsened by growing up as a child with parents that smoke.
This is all very interesting and troubling, but nothing I can do about it now and of course, there are absolutely no hard feelings towards my Dad - this was my lot in life and I have to accept it.
Ever since I left home, I have tried very hard to stay away from anyone that smoked. Yay for Colorado - all public buildings now are smoke-free and many hospitals (including Cleveland) have gone that route.
Christina L
Emma
Well-known member
from a parents point of view..
from a parents point of view..
As mum to a heart child I have seen this topic discussed a LOT on various forums.
As parents we feel terrible guilt (along with other emotions) that our child has something 'wrong' with them and try to find blame somewhere, normally within ourselves.
Various studies have been done and are being done and there is little or no evidence that I have ever heard of (and believe me I have looked and searched and talked about it!!) to prove anything a parent does before their baby is born has any effect on the child having a CHD (congenital heart defect meaning 'from birth').
There are conditions which are hereditary or chromosone abnormalities which are slightly different but again - these aren't the parents fault.
As many as up to 3 in every 100 children is born with a CHD and I've met (in person and online) hundreds of parents with CHD children but not once heard of a parent who has been told they caused the CHD although almost all have asked - I know I did when I went through the guilt bit - all we get told is 'its one of those things'.
I'm not saying there's nothing in the smoking thing - I'm no expert and I do understand you weren't blaming anyone for anything but I just wanted to write from my point of view as a parents guilt can be a terrible thing and I have had many sleepless nights over it in the past, as have other parents I know.
Incidentally, I have never even tried smoking, nor has my husband and none of our families do either so Chloe was exposed to none of this either before or after birth and was still born with one of the more complex heart defects.
Love Emma
xxx
Just editing my post to clarify that I am talking only about CHD children - those who were born with their heart defect, not those who developed it later on. I know nothing about the causes of later heart problems and wouldn't try and claim to either! xxx
from a parents point of view..
As mum to a heart child I have seen this topic discussed a LOT on various forums.
As parents we feel terrible guilt (along with other emotions) that our child has something 'wrong' with them and try to find blame somewhere, normally within ourselves.
Various studies have been done and are being done and there is little or no evidence that I have ever heard of (and believe me I have looked and searched and talked about it!!) to prove anything a parent does before their baby is born has any effect on the child having a CHD (congenital heart defect meaning 'from birth').
There are conditions which are hereditary or chromosone abnormalities which are slightly different but again - these aren't the parents fault.
As many as up to 3 in every 100 children is born with a CHD and I've met (in person and online) hundreds of parents with CHD children but not once heard of a parent who has been told they caused the CHD although almost all have asked - I know I did when I went through the guilt bit - all we get told is 'its one of those things'.
I'm not saying there's nothing in the smoking thing - I'm no expert and I do understand you weren't blaming anyone for anything but I just wanted to write from my point of view as a parents guilt can be a terrible thing and I have had many sleepless nights over it in the past, as have other parents I know.
Incidentally, I have never even tried smoking, nor has my husband and none of our families do either so Chloe was exposed to none of this either before or after birth and was still born with one of the more complex heart defects.
Love Emma
xxx
Just editing my post to clarify that I am talking only about CHD children - those who were born with their heart defect, not those who developed it later on. I know nothing about the causes of later heart problems and wouldn't try and claim to either! xxx
Andrew'sMom
Well-known member
neither my husband nor myself smoke (never have) and we have 2 BAV kids.
D
Der Biermeister
both of my parents smoked until they were around 50. My mother quit in the hospital after a heart attack.
I also was a heavy smoker up until 15 years ago. (I get to celebrate 15 years on Jan 16!!!!! Should I celebrate or what? )
I also was a heavy smoker up until 15 years ago. (I get to celebrate 15 years on Jan 16!!!!! Should I celebrate or what?
)
M
MikeB
Yes, both of my parents smoked while pregnant but the doctor said that it had no effect on me getting heart disease.
B
Butterfly
Smoking Survey
Smoking Survey
I've thought about the smoking survey for some time.Both my parents were heavy smokers and it seems that the majority of respondants to the survey had at least one parent that smoked. We now also know a lot more about the effect of second hand smoke on health. As BAV seemingly is associated with abnormaltiies of tissue I was thinking that parental ,prenatal smoking might be linked to this defect due to the effect smoking has on the depletion of Vitamin C and therefore the production of collagen that is needed for the formation and maintenance of bodily cartiledge and strong arteries and veins.Apparently Vit C supplementation is now being suggested to smokers as a mainstream practice.
Just a thought.
Smoking Survey
I've thought about the smoking survey for some time.Both my parents were heavy smokers and it seems that the majority of respondants to the survey had at least one parent that smoked. We now also know a lot more about the effect of second hand smoke on health. As BAV seemingly is associated with abnormaltiies of tissue I was thinking that parental ,prenatal smoking might be linked to this defect due to the effect smoking has on the depletion of Vitamin C and therefore the production of collagen that is needed for the formation and maintenance of bodily cartiledge and strong arteries and veins.Apparently Vit C supplementation is now being suggested to smokers as a mainstream practice.
Just a thought.
GeorgeM
Well-known member
My father was a moderate smoker and died aged 58 (from liver disease)
My mother was a life long non-smoker and tee total.
No family history of heart problems - until I came along !
Best Wishes
George
My mother was a life long non-smoker and tee total.
No family history of heart problems - until I came along !
Best Wishes
George
N
Nan
Both my parents smoked heavily, both pre my arrival and after for many years. They stopped in their 60's when both had PAD and had stents put in their legs.
We traveled to Florida by car every Christmas to visit grandparents. They both smoked in the car. Surprise, surprise, every winter after vacation I came down with bronchitis, regular as clockwork.
I smoked as a teen for about 4 years but then stopped.
But I do not have a BAV. So don't know if their smoking influenced my heart valves or not.
Certainly was an unkown in those days that second hand smoke could hurt anyone!
We traveled to Florida by car every Christmas to visit grandparents. They both smoked in the car. Surprise, surprise, every winter after vacation I came down with bronchitis, regular as clockwork.
I smoked as a teen for about 4 years but then stopped.
But I do not have a BAV. So don't know if their smoking influenced my heart valves or not.
Certainly was an unkown in those days that second hand smoke could hurt anyone!
