Perry MF, et al. - Via this population-based retrospective cohort study of live births in Ohio from 2006–2015 performed using data from birth certificates, researchers investigated how maternal smoking and the timing of periconception exposure are correlated with congenital birth defects. They identified 1,436,036 live births in this study period; 75% of the mothers did not smoke during the preconception period or during pregnancy. Observations revealed an increased risk of some birth defects in correlation with smoking during the period of fetal organogenesis (during the first trimester of pregnancy). Furthermore, this study provided novel evidence suggesting a risk for fetal malformation such as gastroschisis among women who smoke during the few months before conception, even with cessation in the first trimester. This study thereby emphasizes preconception women’s public health education efforts and justifies further investigation.