Pregnant Smokers Linked to Psychotic Symptoms in Children

In the October, 2009 issue of the British Journal Of Psychiatry,which was summarized by Join Together there is a report on a study which stated that "Women who smoke tobacco during pregnancy increase the risk of having children who develop psychotic problems." This study was done by researchers in the U.K. They also found that the "expectant mothers who smoked the most faced the greatest risk".

Study author, Stanley Zammit, said that, "we can estimate that about 20 per cent of adolescents would not have developed psychotic symptoms if their mothers had not smoked. Therefore Maternal smoking may be an important risk factor in the development of psychotic experiences in the population."

Psychosis can be defined as an abnormal condition of the mind, or a loss of contact with reality. People that are experiencing psychosis may have difficulty with social interactions and find it difficult to carry out daily life activities.

This information is disturbing for pregnant mothers who smoke to hear, but in our efforts to provide the best start to our babies we need to make decisions based on the best available information. This recent study suggests that smoking while pregnant may hinder the development of the fetal brain. The researchers also suspect impulsivity, attention or cognition may be impacted by exposure of tobacco during pregnancy.

There is help available to quit smoking. Please read further on the blog or contact me through this blog and I will assist you in your efforts to quit. Your public health nurse will also provide support to quit. This information, and your desire to provide the best start for your baby can be the motivation to quit the difficult addiction of nicotine in tobacco.

You can read about this research further by going to Health Day News and/or the British Journal of Psychiatry. If you would like to read a summary of this research go to Join Together.