Smoking as a risk factor for group B streptococcal colonization during pregnancy

7/19/2021

Philip Kum-Nji, MD, MPH

about presenter

Philip Kum-Nji: Born and educated in Cameroon where I obtained my MD but subsequently obtained and MPH from Tulane, New Orleans, LA. Afterwards did a residency in general pediatrics from the LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, Memphis, TN. Was previously faculty at the University of Mississippi, Jackson, MS, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA and now at the Children’s Hospital Richmond, Richmond, VA. My research interest is mainly on the health effects of tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) on child health.

Group B Strep International

7/19/2021 09:34:14 pm

Thank you so much, Dr. Kum-Nji, for sharing your research with us on smoking as a risk factor for GBS colonization during pregnancy. Such important information for pregnant women to consider!

Ritwij Kulkarni

7/20/2021 07:14:46 am

Did you look into exposure to secondhand smoke and vaping trends in pregant mothers?
Thank you.

Marti Perhach

7/20/2021 09:08:06 am

Do you have any insight into how long smoking might remain a risk factor for GBS colonization once a woman quits?

Philip Kum-Nji

7/20/2021 10:15:16 am

Hi Ritwij, Thanks for your question!. Yes we tried to explore the role of second hand smoke but unfortunately it was not possible due to the fact that the data was not available. Mothers were routinely questioned on whether the smoked during pregnancy and how many cigarettes the smoked daily. We hope to explore the impact of SHS in a later study

Marti, Yes, I think that the earlier a woman quits during pregnancy the less likely GBS colonization will occur. The risk should quickly disappear in weeks if not months because the half-life of cotinine or nicotine is about 3 to 4 days and in say week, there should be no more nicotine in the system although that does not mean that the harm to the body is completely gone. However, I am not sure, in terms of actual duration, whether the risk disappears in months or even years. Which brings up the problem of second hand smoke exposure (SHS). The risk may still exist if others in the home or environment smoke

James Mcgregor

7/20/2021 12:22:47 pm

Thanks for you excellent presentation and explication of your findings. Any information@ smoking interventions@ GBS colonization or invaisive diseases? Suggest ions for an intervention! What is the calculated attributable risk of smoking and gbs! Can the cost savings of gbs prevention be added to smoking cessation!

Philip Kum-Nji

7/20/2021 01:17:11 pm

James: Thanks for your questions but no info yet on smoking intervention and GBS colonization since almost no study except perhaps ours has explored this relationship at some depth but we can surmise that the risk of having GBS colonization in a pregnant more than doubles if she is a smoker than if she is not. My stat expert can probably calculate the exact AR and we'll let you know.

Elena Mboda

7/22/2021 10:30:06 am

It would be interesting to know if the smoking habits of sexual partners during pregnancy might play a role in maternal vaginal colonization, not as in 2nd hand smoke, but as in being more likely to be colonized in the GU tract themselves. Do you think that having a sexual partner who smokes could contribute to a higher likelihood for maternal vaginal colonization?

Philip Kum-Nji

7/22/2021 05:08:21 pm

Elena,
Thanks for your question and comment. I think that male smoking partners of pregnant women are much likely to be colonized by GBS than the non-smoking male partners. Thus the former are likely to transmit the organism to their non-smoking pregnant partners. It would be an interesting study to conduct although it would be difficult to decide which came first

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Smoking as a risk factor for group B streptococcal colonization during pregnancy

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