Smoking During Pregnancy Fosters Aggression In Children

Women who smoke during pregnancy risk delivering aggressive kids according to a new Canada-Netherlands study[smoking during pregnancy].

While previous studies have shown that smoking during gestation causes low birth weight, this research shows mothers who light up during pregnancy can predispose their offspring to an additional risk: violent behaviour.

What’s more, the research team found the risk of giving birth to aggressive children increases among smoking mothers whose familial income is lower than $40,000 per year.

Another risk factor for aggressive behavior in offspring was smoking mothers with a history of antisocial behavior: run-ins with the law, high school drop-outs and illegal drug use.

“Mothers-to-be whose lives have been marked by anti-social behavior have a 67 percent chance to have a physically aggressive child if they smoke 10 cigarettes a day while pregnant, compared with 16 percent for those who are non-smokers or who smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes a day,” says Dr. Seguin.

“Smoking also seems to be an aggravating factor, although less pronounced, in mothers whose anti-social behavior is negligible or zero.”

Read more at EurekAlert