Cigarette smoke plays an undisputed role in the development of lung and other cancers. Carcinogens in the smoke damage DNA, which often results in mutations in genes that promote the development of cancer. It's also well known that second-hand smoke can have effects indistinguishable from active smoking. While maternal tobacco smoking has been associated with low birth-weight, premature delivery and brain and lung defects, only a few studies have found evidence of genetic mutations in newborns resulting from exposure to tobacco smoke while in the womb.
A new study by Stephen Grant, professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Pittsburgh, confirms that both active smoking and passive exposure to second-hand smoke in pregnant women lead to genetic damage in the newborn. Importantly, the research shows that there was a similar frequency of mutations among smoking mothers, those exposed to second-hand smoke, and moms-to-be that quit smoking after they learned of their pregnancy. The authors conclude that quitting smoking during pregnancy without actively avoiding exposure to second-hand smoke may not protect the developing fetus. The results were published online June 30 in the Open Pediatric Medicine Journal.
"These findings back up our previous conclusion that passive, or secondary, smoke causes permanent genetic damage in newborns that is very similar to the damage caused by active smoking," Grant said in a prepared statement.
