Study: Smoking during pregnancy harms children’s academic achievement

In addition to all these harms, a recent study adds another reason for pregnant women to quit smoking. Researchers have found that exposure to toxic chemicals found in tobacco before birth may also affect the child’s academic achievements.

In a systematic review of 19 studies and 1.25 million participants, researchers at the University of South Australia, along with a team from Curtin University, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Harvard University and others, found that 79% of studies reported lower academic achievement in children exposed to maternal smoking before birth.

An additional statistical analysis of eight primary studies involving 723,877 participants showed that children exposed to maternal smoking before birth were 49% more likely to have poor academic achievement than those not exposed to smoking in the womb.

Lead researcher Dr Bereket Doku from the University of South Australia says that despite what is already known about smoking, research is still uncovering additional negative effects.

“For decades, agencies around the world have pushed anti-smoking campaigns about the dangers of smoking. But despite these efforts, tobacco smoking remains a widespread global public health problem. Prenatal smoking is known to cause multiple pregnancy complications, including an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, restricted growth and development, and serious birth defects. It is also associated with negative mental health outcomes and behavioral problems,” he added.

“Our new research adds to this, by showing that maternal smoking before birth carries a significant risk of reducing a child’s academic performance, leaving them well behind their peers at school. We all want children to get the best start in life. But it is clear that we must do more to educate mothers and families about the harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy on both mother and baby.”

The research was published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Source: Medical Express