Damage to Blood Vessels Found in the Children of Smokers

A Dutch study has revealed that children of mothers and fathers who smoked developed thickening and stiffening of arteries during childhood.

Although the researchers believe that the majority of the damage occurred while the baby was in the mother’s womb during pregnancy, the statistics showed a rise in damage in children where both the father and mother smoked. This was in contrast to slightly lesser damage to children where the mother smoked and the father did not.

Uiterwaal, an associate professor at the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care at the University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands, said, “With our findings, we think that smoking in pregnancy does play an independent role, although we know that exposure of children to [secondhand] smoke is damaging in many areas."

While there are many other chemicals that young children are exposed to every day, including cleaning chemicals, paints and automotive chemicals, most experts insist there is no safe level of exposure when it comes to cigarette smoke. Smokers who are parents of young children and smokers wishing to conceive are urged to contact their family physician for help to quit.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239733.php