Smokers who quit when they become pregnant can still harm their children, research shows

SMOKER'S who quit when they become pregnant could still harm their child, research shows.

The damage may already be done by the time they become pregnant.

Babies in the womb were almost a day behind women who smoked ten or more cigarettes a day, researchers found.

Smoking before and after pregnancy led to smaller fetuses after 20 weeks and smaller babies, according to the study in Rotterdam.

Researcher Dr. Melek Rousian said: “The results of this study highlight the importance of quitting smoking before conception and that efforts to help women quit smoking should focus on this time frame.

“If possible, women should stop smoking from the moment they plan to become pregnant, but it is always a good thing to stop smoking anyway, especially at any stage of pregnancy.

“Smoking affects not only an embryo's growth during pregnancy and birth weight, but also the development of the embryo from the very early stages of pregnancy.”

The researchers are now investigating different ways to help expectant parents quit smoking through face-to-face consultations, follow-up visits and digital interventions.

Dr. Rousian added: “This is why the periconceptional period is an important area of ​​research, as many expectant parents are unaware of the presence of a developing embryo in the early period, when a pregnancy has not yet been confirmed.”