(NaturalNews) A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives has revealed that children who are exposed to cigarette smoke prenatally and during the first year of their life are likely to develop behavioral problems by the time they are of school age. Particularly problematic during the gestational years, tobacco smoke can more than double the risk of childhood behavior problems.
Scientists from Germany analyzed children whose mothers smoked while they were in the womb as well as children who were exposed to second hand smoke following their birth up until their first birthday. The children who were only exposed prenatally were 90 percent more likely to develop behavioral problems compared to children whose mothers did not smoke at all. Children who were exposed only after birth had a 30-percent higher risk. Children exposed both prenatally and after birth had a double risk of developing abnormal behavior problems.
In order to isolate the true cause of behavioral problems, scientists crafted a detailed questionnaire that aimed to eliminate possible biases that would have altered results, such as external social and environmental factors. When all was said and done, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, and social interaction problems were among the primary setbacks observed in the tobacco-exposed children.
Because the negative effects of tobacco smoke were found to be the greatest during fetal development, scientists see an undeniable link between
tobacco and developmental problems. The formative years of a child's growth and maturation are severely upset by the presence of tobacco, something scientists hope every mother and prospective mother will consider.
Comments by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
This is an interesting study, but it may not prove what you think it proves. It
appears to prove that tobacco smoke leads to behavior problems in children, right?
But what it really might be demonstrating is that children raised by parents who smoke in the house (which is, by any assessment, an incredibly stupid thing to do) have
behavior problems.
In other words, this study may have more to do with
really bad parenting than tobacco smoke. Even if parents smoke, the ones who really care about their own children will
smoke outside the house, thereby making sure their indoor air environment is smoke free.
I've met lots of parents who smoke and yet they take steps to shield their children from
secondhand smoke because they obviously don't want their children to pick up the habit or suffer the health consequences.
That's actually a very compassionate approach.
Smokers can be responsible people, too. They may not be able to beat their own addiction, but at least they can try to prevent it from harming those around them -- especially their children.
Sources for this story include:http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/press-and-media/press-releases/pr...
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Saturday, January 09, 2010
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