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Quitting smoking in pregnancy good sign for child behaviour
Reported October 06, 2009
A PhD student at the University of Western Australia, working with the
Telethon Institute of Child Health, has revealed there are long-term
benefits for a child if their mother quits smoking even after the pregnancy
is established.
The findings will be published in the next edition of the Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health.
Report co-author Monique Robinson said the study revealed that even if a
woman was still smoking in the first few months of pregnancy, it was not too
late to quit to improve the outcomes for her child.
"Our analysis revealed that there was an association between mothers who
quit by four months gestation and a reduced risk of behavioural problems in
the child," Ms Robinson said.
"The decision and ability to quit are really important indicators. Quitting
smoking is perceived to be difficult, but if a mother decides to and is able
to quit for the sake of her unborn child's health, this may reflect positive
maternal qualities that may have ongoing benefits for the child themselves."
The analysis was drawn from data collected from more than 2,800 participants
in the Raine Study. Behaviour was assessed at two, five, eight, 10 and 14
years of age.
Ms Robinson said the study also showed that smoking throughout pregnancy
resulted in a much higher risk for behavioural problems in children than
those children whose mothers did not smoke, or quit smoking before four
months gestation.
"While significant inroads have been made in reducing smoking in the
population, one in six women still smoke in pregnancy," Ms Robinson said.
"We know that pregnancy can be a window of opportunity where women are more
likely to be focused on their own health and that of their child, so it's
important that we support pregnant women in their efforts to stop smoking."
Source: University of Western Australia: Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health: October 2009 |
