long-term problems in children of mothers who smoke

the bottom line

A woman's smoking during pregnancy may affect the health of her child long after birth and in several different ways. Some of these effects may be due to the fact that smokers' babies are smaller than other babies when they are born. Others may be due to mechanisms that are not yet understood.

Long-term problems associated with the mother's smoking during pregnancy include:

• An increased risk of allergies
• Higher blood pressure in childhood
• A greater likelihood of obesity
• Being shorter in childhood
• Poorer lung function
• A greater likelihood that the child will have asthma
• Possibly, an increased risk of learning and behavior problems (scientists aren't sure about this one)
• Possibly, an increased risk of mental retardation (this, too, is uncertain)