Smoking is highly harmful and even more so if it is done during pregnancy, causing undesirable consequences for the baby. The WHO says that exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risk of premature birth, fetal death, low birth weight or suffering from a genetic defect.
But what is the reaction of the fetus inside the womb when its mother smokes? Are you able to perceive it? Researchers at the University of Durham, in the United Kingdom, confirm that they do and share images of different unborn babies while their mothers smoke cigarettes: their facial movements in 4D ultrasounds speak for themselves about the harmful effects of tobacco.
A picture is worth a thousand words
And in this case the statement is more consistent than ever. 4D ultrasound shows a sequence of movements of two fetuses at 32 weeks’ gestation : a baby from a smoking mother (top) and a baby from a non-smoking mother (bottom).
That is why, following the study published in Acta Pediátrica, researchers from the universities of Durham and Lancaster stated that the results add weight to the existing evidence that smoking is detrimental to the development of babies in the womb.
Lead author Dr. Nadja Reissland, from Durham University’s Department of Psychology, notes that “Fetal facial movement patterns differ significantly between fetuses of smoking mothers and those of nonsmoking mothers.”
“Our findings agree with others that stress and depression have a significant impact on fetal movements, and should be controlled, but also point to the fact that exposure to nicotine ‘per se’ has an effect on its development above of the effects of stress and depression “.
The study shows that babies of pregnant smokers gesticulate more with their mouths and touch their faces more, while their movements are generally less than what is considered normal during pregnancy.
Among the reasons , the researchers suggest that the baby’s central nervous system, which controls movements in general and facial movements in particular, does not develop at the same rate and in the same way as in the children of mothers who do not smoke during pregnancy. pregnancy.
How does the study was realized?
The researchers looked at 80 4D ultrasounds of 20 babies during gestation, to assess subtle mouth movements and touch. The scans were performed at four different intervals, between weeks 24 and 36 of pregnancy.
Four of the babies were born to mothers who smoked an average of 14 cigarettes a day, while the other 16 were to nonsmoking mothers. All were evaluated and born healthy.
Professor Brian Francis, from Lancaster University (UK), co-author of the study concludes:
“Technology allows us to see what was previously hidden, revealing how smoking affects the development of the fetus in ways that we were not previously aware of. This is further evidence of the negative effects of smoking on pregnancy.”
And he adds that:
“A larger study is needed to confirm these results and investigate the specific effects, including the interaction of maternal stress and smoking.”
Via | Durham University
In Babies and More | Vaping or smoking in pregnancy is just as harmful for the baby: they can cause lung diseases, Tobacco affects the placenta of pregnant women, even after quitting smoking
