Is Paternal Smoking at Conception a Risk for ADHD? A Controlled Study in Youth With and Without ADHD

Objective: Based on emerging preclinical findings suggesting that paternal smoking at conception may be a risk for ADHD in the offspring, we investigated whether a similar effect can be observed in humans. Method: We analyzed data from an opportunistic dataset of girl probands with (N = 140) and without (N = 122) ADHD with available information on paternal smoking at conception. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression. Results: ADHD probands had a significantly higher rate of paternal smoking at conception than controls (35% vs. 23%, χ² = 3.82, p =.05) with a significant odds ratio of 1.5. However, the association lost significance after controlling for paternal ADHD, most likely due to limited statistical power. Conclusion: While preliminary, findings suggest that paternal smoking at conception may be a risk factor for ADHD in the offspring.