Mothers who smoke

I do know one mom who smokes. She didn't smoke while she was pregnant, but she started again after the baby was born. Smoking is so addictive and so common, I often wonder if there are other parents I know who may hide the fact that they smoke. What do you think? Do you know any parents who smoke?

CBS/Mothers who Smoke: Mothers who smoke while pregnant increase the risk that their child will develop psychological problems, a new study finds. And a related study found that babies exposed to secondhand smoke from fathers or other people may be at increased risk of developing weight problems, even if mothers are nonsmokers.

Both studies appear online in advance of publication in the July issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Researchers from the United Kingdom and Brazil, using data on 509 Brazilian and 6,735 British families, say there is reason to believe that mothers who smoke may expose their fetuses to harmful substances that may affect the behavior and conduct of children in later years. "There was some evidence that maternal smoking in pregnancy is associated with greater conduct/externalizing problems [aggressive behavior, rule-breaking behavior] in the offspring at the age of 4," the authors write.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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