Children whose mothers smoke during pregnancy are far more likely to develop asthma and other lung problems during their preschool years, new research shows.
Health researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, noted past studies have shown children of women who smoke are more prone to respiratory problems, but it wasn’t clear if the risk was due to prenatal tobacco exposure or to secondhand smoke during children’s early life.
But the new study found a clear link between smoking in pregnancy and a child’s lung health – regardless of a baby’s exposure to secondhand smoke in infancy.
"Our study, a large pooled analysis of eight birth cohorts with data on more than 21,000 children, included 735 children who were exposed to maternal smoking only during pregnancy," noted lead author Dr. Åsa Neuman, of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institutet. "These children were at increased risk for wheeze and asthma at preschool age."
The findings, published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, are based on parental questionnaires about tobacco use and children’s health. Neuman said they provide fresh evidence that "Teens and young women should be encouraged to quit smoking before getting pregnant."