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Excerpts from Smoking Moms-Kids' Behavior Linked

By Lindsey Tanner, AP [04/12/00]

CHICAGO - Women who smoke while pregnant are far more likely to have children who develop behavior problems as toddlers, a study found.

The findings add to a growing body of research indicating that smoking by mothers-to-be can harm children.

Nearly all 2-year-olds exhibit some rebelliousness, risk-taking and impulsiveness. But such behavior was four times more likely in toddlers whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, according to the study published Thursday in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

The findings suggest a chemical root for the problem behavior, since the researchers took into account sociological factors that might have affected the children, such as a mother's stress, personality and income level.

Dr. Alan Leshner of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, which funded the study of the 99 toddlers and their mothers, said smoking might alter children's behavior by exposing the fetus to nicotine, which could reduce the amount of oxygen that gets to the brain.