Pregnant Women Who
Smoke Linked To Behavioral Problems in Toddlers - Maternal Smoking
Mothers More Trouble with Terrible-Two Kids
July 13th 2006
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It has been known for a long time that cigarette smoking is dangerous
but now there is some evidence the smoking during pregnancy is linked to
behavior problems in toddlers. Researcher from UIC (University of
Illinois at Chicago) College of Medicine's Institute for Juvenile
Research found that 2-year-olds regularly exposed to cigarette smoke in
utero were nearly 12 times more likely to show clinical levels of
behavior problems compared to toddlers who were not exposed.
After evaluating 93 children between their first and second birthdays,
UIC researchers found that the 44 children exposed to cigarette smoke
before birth were more prone to behavioral problems. These women
reported smoking a pack or more a day.
The toddlers permanently exposed to cigarette smoke showed markedly
different behavior patterns. Associate Professor, Lauren Wakschlag,
says "The ability to identify these disruptive behavior patterns in
exposed children, even at this young age, is very striking."
Although many toddlers between the ages of 18 and 24 months (the
terrible-twos) exhibit mild behavioral problems, the kids not exposed to
cigarette smoke had much milder, more stable patterns of behavior
compared to those exposed.
The researchers say that this does not prove that smoking causes the
behavioral problems. Wakschlag says “This study is another piece to
this complex puzzle. It moves us one step closer to figuring out whether
smoking during pregnancy plays a causal role in the development of
behavior problems. By pinpointing which behaviors are involved, it sets
the stage for the next set of studies which can more precisely
characterize the relevant behaviors and their associated brain regions
in exposed children."
The research is published in the July/August issue of the journal Child
Development.
Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Pregnancy
Keywords and misspellings: priatal prenatal pre-natal
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