Pregnancy vitamin C to protect children's airway health
Vitamin C to Decrease Effects of Smoking during Pregnancy on Offspring Airway Function, Airway Size, and Epigenetic Correlates: VCSIP cohort follow-up through 10 Years of Age
Pregnant people who smoke take vitamin C to help their babies keep stronger lungs through childhood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11138761 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This follow-up tracks children up to age 10 whose mothers smoked during pregnancy and were randomized to vitamin C or placebo. Children return for breathing tests, measurements of airway size, health questionnaires about wheeze and respiratory symptoms, and collection of samples to study epigenetic changes. Researchers compare lung function and respiratory outcomes between the original vitamin C and placebo groups as the children grow. The team remains blinded to individual treatment assignments and builds on earlier positive results from infancy and early childhood.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are children born to people who smoked during pregnancy and who were enrolled in the original VCSIP randomized trial.
Not a fit: Children whose mothers did not smoke during pregnancy or who were not part of the original trial are unlikely to be eligible or to gain direct benefit from this follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could show that giving vitamin C during pregnancy reduces wheeze and improves long-term lung growth in children of smokers.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier randomized results from the same VCSIP trial showed better infant and 5-year lung function and less wheeze in the vitamin C group, so this follow-up extends those promising findings.
Where this research is happening
Portland, United States
- Oregon Health & Science University — Portland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcevoy, Cynthia T — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Mcevoy, Cynthia T
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.