A new Ohio State University study suggests that even nicotine-free e-cigarette liquids can affect fetal development. Researchers exposed pregnant mice to two common vape humectants—propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG)—at different ratios. Offspring exposed in utero to a “safer” 30/70 PG/VG blend were born lighter and had narrower faces and shorter skulls than those exposed to filtered air or a 50/50 mix.
“This had no nicotine, and it’s still having effects on the development of the skull in our model, which was not anything we expected,” said lead author James Cray, professor of anatomy. Cray said that propylene glycol has been associated with enhanced nicotine absorption in e-cigarettes, prompting many companies to increase glycerol content in newer formulations in an effort to market them as safer.
The findings, published in PLOS One, challenge assumptions that high-VG formulations are safer and highlight potential risks for people unaware they are pregnant. Cray said the results underscore the need to study nicotine-free vaping products as closely as those that contain nicotine.