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Smoking damages the placenta and reduces foetal growth

March 19, 2003

Dr Peter Hindmarsh (University College, London), at the British Endocrine Societies 2003 meeting, will reveal new evidence that smoking when pregnant causes damage to the placenta and reduced birth weight. His team found that nutrient delivery to the baby was restricted and levels of an important developmental hormone, IGF-1, were reduced, causing impaired growth of organs, including the brain.

This study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, is the first to evaluate foetal growth and placental blood flow throughout smoking pregnancies. It followed over 1500 mothers and found that the placenta of smokers was damaged, and blood flow to the foetus was reduced. Consequently, the babies of smokers were on average more than 5oz lighter than non-smokers.

Low birth weight has been linked to increased risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes in adulthood. The adverse effects of smoking when pregnant have been acknowledged since the '70s. Even so, around 10% of pregnant women in the UK still smoke.

Commenting on these findings, Dr Hindmarsh said, 'These profound effects of smoking on foetal development are irreversible and may cause impairment in the health and well being of the offspring in later life. In particular, the reduced brain size that we saw in smokers' babies could lead to impaired cognitive ability of the child.'

Society for Endocrinology

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