Women who choose to smoke during pregnancy could be increasing their child's risk of developing schizophrenia later in life, a study suggests.
Researchers in Finland found signs of heavy nicotine exposure in a mother's blood were associated with an increased likelihood of schizophrenia in their kids.
They analysed data on 1,000 schizophrenia patients and matched their birth and health records with non-affected "control" individuals.
Smoking habits from their mums were assessed by looking at levels of a nicotine marker, cotinine, in the blood.
Based on this measurement, a fifth (20%) of mothers of schizophrenia patients were found to have smoked heavily while pregnant, compared with 14.7% of mothers of controls.
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"To our knowledge, this is the first biomarker-based study to show a relationship between foetal nicotine exposure and schizophrenia," senior researcher Professor Alan Brown, from the University of Columbia in New York City, said, according to PA.
"These findings underscore the value of ongoing public health education on the potentially debilitating, and largely preventable, consequences that smoking may have on children over time."
Commenting on the study, Jane Munro a midwifery advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, told The Huffington Post UK: "Whilst more research needs to be done in this area, this adds weight to the growing evidence about the potential negative impact of smoking on the mother and her child.
"It is important that midwives have the time to discuss issues such as this with women so that they can offer the level of support and advice needed.
“An Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) report earlier this year showed that around 40% of local authorities in England are cutting budgets to stop smoking services.
"These cuts quite simply are counter-productive to reducing smoking in pregnancy and in the population as a whole."
The NHS advises "protecting your baby from tobacco smoke is one of the best things you can do to give your child a healthy start in life".
Every cigarette you smoke reduces your expected life span by 11 minutes. (credit:Jasper White via Getty Images)
FACT 2(02 of12)
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There are roughly 10 million adults who smoke cigarettes in Great Britain. (credit:Bertrand Demee via Getty Images)
FACT 3(03 of12)
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Two-thirds of smokers start before the age 18. (credit:Flying Colours Ltd via Getty Images)
FACT 4(04 of12)
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The proportion of the population who are smokers has decreased since the 1970s. A sixth of the population smoke now, in comparison to nearly half of the adult population smoking in 1974. (credit:Dražen LovriÄ via Getty Images)
FACT 7(05 of12)
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Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds including: carbon monoxide, arsenic, formaldehyde, cyanide, benzene, toluene and acrolein. (credit:murengstockphoto via Getty Images)
FACT 8(06 of12)
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Smoking poses a huge risk to your cardiovascular system.It also steals some of your good cholesterol, increases the risk of clotting and temporarily raises your blood pressure. (credit:Jeffrey Hamilton via Getty Images)
FACT 9(07 of12)
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Immediately after you quit smoking, your lungs and other smoke-damaged organs start to repair themselves. (credit:Oko_SwanOmurphy via Getty Images)
FACT 10(08 of12)
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Smoking is England’s biggest killer. Half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their addiction. (credit:Westend61 via Getty Images)
FACT 11(09 of12)
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100,000 smokers in the UK die every year from smoking related causes. (credit:Shui Ta Shan via Getty Images)
FACT 12(10 of12)
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In 2012-13 the Government earned £12.3 billion in revenue from tobacco tax. (credit:Jasper James via Getty Images)
FACT 13(11 of12)
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Usage of electronic cigarettes has tripled in the past two years. 2.1 million adults in Great Britain now use them. (credit:diego_cervo via Getty Images)
FACT 14(12 of12)
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A report by Dr Robert West of University College London found that e-cigarette use from popular brands is expected to be at least 20 times safer (and probably considerably more so) than smoking tobacco cigarettes. (credit:mangojuicy via Getty Images)