'4D' ultrasound shows effects of smoking on unborn babies

Conclusion This pilot study looked at whether ultrasound scans could be a reliable way of assessing foetal movements. It then looked at whether movements differ between babies whose mothers smoke and those who do not. The study found babies whose mothers smoked moved their mouths more often, and the rate at which they reduced their mouth movements was slow compared with babies whose mothers didn't smoke. The main limitation of this study was its size – only four smokers and 16 non-smokers were included. This means the results are more likely to be down to chance than in a bigger study. We can't be sure that these results apply to all babies of smokers and non-smokers, and a bigger study is needed to confirm the results. A further point is that if there are real differences between the movements of babies whose mothers smoke or don't smoke, we can't say exactly why these differences arise or what they mean for the baby. The researchers have suggested reasons for the differences in movements, but this type of study is not designed to look at the reason behind the differences. We need more research to investigate whether the differences seen in this study do represent slower development of the baby's nervous system, and whether they could have any meaning for the continued growth and development of the infant or child. Another limitation is the potential influence of confounding – that is, any differences may not necessarily be a direct effect of smoking, but could be...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news