Exposure to secondhand smoking during pregnancy linked to stillbirths

The latest UK-based study has found that women who are exposed to passive smoking during pregnancy have 23 percent increased chances of giving birth to a still-born baby and 13 percent more likelihood of delivering an infant with other birth defects.

Past studies have already linked passive smoking with heart diseases and diabetes in kids.

A team of researchers from the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham in England, spearheaded by Prof. Jo Leonardi-Bee, initiated the study that aimed at finding the impact of secondhand smoking on unborn babies.

“Mothers’ smoking during pregnancy is well-recognized as carrying a range of serious health risks for the unborn baby including fetal mortality, low birth weight, premature birth and a range of serious birth defects such as cleft palate, club foot and heart problems,” said the lead author.

“Since passive smoking involves exposure to the same range of tobacco toxins experienced by active smokers, albeit at lower levels, it is likely that coming into contact with secondhand smoke also increases the risk of some of all of these complications,” she added.

Study details
In order to reach present study findings, the investigators examined data from 19 past studies from North America, South America, Asia and Europe, done on connections between secondhand smoke and miscarriages, newborn deaths and birth defects of the fetus.

While there was no single birth defect that saw a massive increase due to passive smoking, collective analysis showed an increase in higher mortality rate and birth defects in babies of women who had been exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy.

“None of the women smoked while pregnant, but they breathed in secondhand smoke from colleagues or family members. In half the studies analyzed, fathers were the primary source of secondhand smoke,” the researchers informed.

Researchers recommend that husbands need to be discouraged from smoking around their pregnant wives considering the possible hazards associated with it.

Findings of study only preliminary?
Experts say that though the dangers of secondhand smoke were confirmed by the present study, it had no proper proof on stillbirths and birth defects.

Stephen Grant of Magee-Womens Research Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said, "What we have here is that it's possible all the chemicals in tobacco smoke could have some effect on development."

Findings of the study would appear in the April edition of the 'Pediatrics' journal.