Abstract

Background: Our aim was to determine whether maternal smoking and offspring’s own smoking affect the offspring’s risk for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Method: The study sample consisted of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (N = 8703). Information on maternal smoking was collected from the participants’ mothers. At 31 years, information on smoking, body mass index, socioeconomic status, and long‐term illnesses were collected, combined with data of CTS diagnoses from the Care Register for Health Care (1997–2016).

Results: Maternal smoking was not associated with increased risk of CTS in offspring. Before the age of 31 years, smoking ≤10 pack years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11–2.15) and >10 pack years (HR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.20–3.01) among women, and >10 pack years (HR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.14–3.12) among men was associated with CTS compared with nonsmokers.

Conclusions: In this birth cohort, offsprings’ own smoking was associated with CTS; however, maternal smoking was not.