More Reasons To Quit Smoking: An Easy-going Baby
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British researchers just recently published their finding in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. In their findings, which included data on more than 18,000 children, those whose mothers quit smoking while pregnant displayed more of an easy-going temperament.
“At age 9 months, the children’s temperaments were assessed for things such as positive mood, receptivity to new things, and regular sleep and eating patterns.”
And they found that these babies were less afraid of new things, more open to new experiences, slept better, and were more predictable in routine. The opposite held true for babies whose mothers were heavy smokers.
Not surprisingly, nicotine passed through the placenta from smoking are found to be “behavioral toxins”, affecting not only temperament but also development. The mothers who managed to quit while pregnant did so with an urge to protect the baby rather than for health benefits for themselves, the researchers noted. Relapse was quite high after birth, though the ability to delay gratification while pregnant and adapt to new situations show that these women can quit for the long-haul.
Food-for-thought for any smoking women who plan to get pregnant or are already pregnant.
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