|
AAP News Vol. 13 No. 10 October 1997, p. 2 © 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics
In the womb, babies absorb the same amount of nicotine as their smoking mothers and most likely suffer withdrawal symptoms as newborns, a Belgian study revealed. Researchers measured levels of the nicotine byproduct cotinine in urine samples from 273 Belgian children, including 139 babies 1 to 3 days old. Results showed babies' cotinine levels matched the levels found in smoking mothers. In a related study, cotinine levels were measured in 91 children ages 1 to 12 years whose parents smoked and in 31 newborns of mothers who smoked during pregnancy.
|