Pregnancy Smoking harms children for years

Smoking during pregnancy causes years of adverse effects on children

06/22/2011

Smoking during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the unborn child. Australian researchers at the University of Sydney have found that the children of women who smoked during pregnancy had lower blood levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL picks up excess cholesterol from the body's cells and transports it to the liver, significantly reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis and potential cardiovascular disease, said Julian Ayer of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney and colleagues in the online Issue of the specialist magazine „European Heart Journal“.

The health of children is burdened by smoking during pregnancy for years, according to the current study results of the Australian researchers. In addition to the already known health impairments, the production of heart-protecting cholesterol HDL in children is significantly impaired over the years, explained Julian Ayer and colleagues. This is associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. David Celermajer of the University of Sydney, who also participated in the study, emphasized: „Our findings suggest that mothers-to-be-fed mothers give the unborn children a host of unhealthy qualities that may make them more susceptible to heart and stroke later.“ Older studies have already identified a variety of negative consequences of smoking during pregnancy for the future development of the child. The most surprising result came in November of last year, a study by US researchers at Harvard University, which found a link between smoking during pregnancy and a criminal development of children.

Significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease
The Australian scientists have now demonstrated in their investigation a year-long impairment of the release of cholesterol HDL in children from smoking pregnant women. Julian Ayer and colleagues examined 405 eight-year-olds whose mothers had smoked during pregnancy and found that children's HDL levels were still around 15 percent below the blood levels of non-smoker children at the age of eight. The relationship has also been confirmed, taking into account other factors such as passive smoking, nutrition, physical activity and possible obesity, the Australian scientists report. David Celermajer from the University of Sydney explained that the smoker children are one „10 to 15 percent higher risk of heart disease“ subject. This risk remains „at least for the first eight years of life, but probably much longer“ consist. Low levels of HDL are unlikely to normalize into adulthood, Australian researchers said.

Despite health risks for the children, many become mothers
According to the scientists, despite the known risks to unborn children, about 15 percent of mothers in western countries smoke during pregnancy. As this can cause significant health problems for children, mothers who have smoked during pregnancy and postpartum physicians should focus on certain adolescents risk factors such as high blood pressure or low density lipoprotein (LDL)., „the bad cholesterol, pay attention“, explained cardiology professor Celermajer. An improvement in the HDL level is according to the expert by regular sports and a healthy diet possible. Endurance sports and the consumption of vegetable oils with unsaturated fatty acids instead of animal fats, could contribute to a significant improvement in HDL levels, the experts explained. However, the impairments caused by smoking during pregnancy are likely to accompany the affected children for a lifetime, according to the conclusion of Julian Ayer and colleagues. (Fp)

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Picture: Doctor