Junky baby

 
Published: Saturday 31 May 1997

Babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy have the same nicotine levels as adult smokers and almost certainly spend their first days of life going through withdrawal symptoms. This study done at the Mont-Godinne University Hospital, Namur, Belgium by Laurence M Galanti and his team reports that the child born to a smoking mother is almost an ex-smoker. This study was conducted on 273 children including 139 babies just one to three days after birth. The researchers checked their urine for cotinine -- a substance that remains in the body when nicotine breaks down.

Subscribe to Daily Newsletter :

Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.