Wakschlag, Colleagues Link Maternal Smoking in Pregnancy to Behavior Problems
A study conducted by Laurie Wakschlag , Ph.D., Bennett Leventhal , M.D., and colleagues reports a link between smoking during pregnancy and very early child behavior problems. The research, published in the July/August issue of the journal Child Development , found that two-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 that were not exposed.
“The ability to identify these disruptive behavior patterns in exposed children, even at this young age, is very striking,” said Dr. Wakschlag, lead author of the study.
Researchers evaluated 93 children between their first and second birthdays; 44 were exposed to cigarette smoke before birth, and nearly half of their mothers reported smoking more than half-a-pack a day.
The behaviors of exposed and non-exposed toddlers were compared to determine if early signs of disruptive behavior were evident even at this young age. According to Wakschlag, toddlers prenatally exposed to cigarette smoke showed markedly different behavior patterns. Although many toddlers exhibit mild behavioral problems during this period known as the “terrible twos,” the behavior problems of exposed toddlers significantly increased between 18 and 24 months of age compared to the milder, more stable patterns of non-exposed toddlers. Various news outlets, including Forbes.com, ABC 7 Chicago and United Press International, reported on the research. The Forbes article is available online at: http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/07/13/hscout533765.html
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