Moms Who Smoke Have Teens Who Do Drugs

There is research to prove this. We already knew pregnant smokers give birth to babies that are smaller and at greater risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. These babies born of smoking mothers also are more likely to suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and more likely to smoke when they become adults. Now recently published in the American Medical Association journal we find that children born to moms who smoke are three to five times more likely to become druggies as teens and adults. Groups of teens who had Moms that smoked during pregnancy and groups of teens whose moms didn’t were given MRI’s to determine where blood flowed in their brains and then were given video games to win or lose. Researchers then they followed the dopamine, our brain’s innate reward system and in the comparison the kids whose moms smoked were sluggish responders and needed more action for the brain to respond. The researchers determined that this weak response may make these kids more likely to engage in risky drug related behavior. The possibility that smoking moms might alter their child’s brain function resulting in a lifetime of problems should be a compelling enough reason for pregnant women to kick the habit.