Secondhand Smoke Exposure during Pregnancy linked to Behavioral Problems in Children

Behavioral problems that some children display during childhood actually start from the womb. Highlighting this factor, a new study says that exposure to secondhand smoke or environmental smoke during pregnancy can escalate the risks of giving birth to children with behavioral problems.

For the study, a team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing looked at more than 600 mothers and their children in China.

Factors like parents' education, marital status, job profile and mental problems were taken into consideration, Health reported.

They found children who were exposed to nicotine while in mothers' womb displaying attention problems (25 percent) plus aggressive nature and failing to perform well on tests related to language, speech and intelligence.

"Such findings could inform public health efforts to reduce public smoking and underscores the need for including [environmental tobacco smoke] avoidance as a potential component of prenatal care among pregnant women,"  website Health quoted study lead author Jianghong-Liu, an associate professor at Penn Nursing, as saying.

Findings of the study have been published online in Neuro Toxicology.

According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, nearly 26 percent of American adults are smokers, and between 50 and 67 percent of children below five years live with at least one smoker. The smoke produced from cigarettes can stay in the air for more than two hours.

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 toxic chemicals and breathing smoke-filled air brings in many health concerns and leads to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, meningitis, cough, cold and middle ear diseases and even cancer.

According to health experts, parents who notice hostile, aggressive or disruptive behavior in their children for more than six months should seek medical help. Following are some of the tips listed by Medline Plus, to help parents identify these warning signs and to provide an early intervention:

• Tendency to harm or threaten themselves or others
• Tendency to destroy property
• Failure to excel in studies
• Displaying hostility against authority figures
• Smoking, drinking or using drugs
• Display tantrums, tendency to argue
• Engage in early sexual activities