Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy faced more damage to their arteries in their young adulthood as compared to children of non-smoking mothers. The problem was heightened if both the parents smoked. Researchers from Netherlands reported these findings in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Researchers observed that children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy had carotid arteries linings in the neck that were 13.4 micrometers in their young adulthood as compared to children whose mothers did not smoke during pregnancy. This could lead to cardiovascular disease in later life even after making adjustments to such risk factors such as gender, cholesterol levels and body mass index etc.
Dr. C.S.P.M Uiterwaal, M.D. Ph.D., study’s senior author and associate professor of clinical epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center, Utrecht claims that this is the first study to demonstrate that a child exposed to parental tobacco can lead to permanent vascular damage in children. This health problem could develop early in one’s life.
The study observed 732 young adults (average age being 28 years), who were born in 1970 when smoking was a common occurrence. About 29% of the mothers smoked during pregnancy and over 60% were fathers who smoked.
Researchers also observed that the off spring of mothers were short and light at birth and heavier during adolescence. They were more likely to smoke during adulthood. This was not the case with the offsprings who had only smoking fathers. This association did not vary according to the current smoking trend of the parents and change in their income levels.
In case the cardiovascular system of the child is exposed to smoke at an early age, then it is likely that the vessels may be vulnerable to smoke at a later age.
Now only 10 % of women smoked during pregnancy as compared to 30% in the 70s. One should avoid smoking, be it during pregnancy or perhaps otherwise. Smoking per se is bad for health.
Smoking within the family can cause vascular damage in a child even before he or she is born. Efforts should be on to prevent pregnant women from smoking, thus reducing the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.
