A recent study confirms information about the harm of smoking to a child’s development.
In Finland, about 8 percent of mothers smoke during early pregnancy. EPA / AOP
According to a recent study, children exposed to their mother’s smoking during pregnancy do worse in tests measuring language ability and memory at the age of 10-12.
The research was published in the Jama Network Open magazine and the Duodecim health library.
The study followed 11,000 children from 9–10 years old to 11–12 years old. Of the children, 1,600 were exposed to their mother’s smoking during pregnancy.
Children exposed to tobacco had worse results than other children in tests measuring language skills and event memory. Magnetic resonance imaging showed changes in the parts of the cerebral cortex responsible for language functions and memory.
A new study confirms the already known information about the harm of smoking during pregnancy on the child’s development. However, it states that other factors can influence the observed connections, such as the children’s birth weight or possible prematurity.
The mother’s smoking has been linked to prematurity and small size of the child.
According to the Health Library, about 8 percent of Finnish mothers smoke during early pregnancy. More than half of them stop smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy.
About 11 percent of Finns still smoke every day. In 2022, approximately 11 percent of women aged 20–64 and 12 percent of men smoke daily.
According to the Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2023 five percent of 14-20 year olds smoked daily. Six percent of young people used electronic cigarettes on a daily basis. The use of e-cigarettes has remained low among the adult population.
E-cigarettes were used daily by one percent of men aged 20–64 and less than one percent of women in 2022.
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