Children of Smokers Have More Attention Deficit
 (Chicago, Reuters Health, 8/2/05)

Dr. Karen Linnet and fellow researchers at Aarhus University in Copenhagen, Denmark, matched 170 hyperactive children with 3,800 of their peers of the same age. The investigators found that 59% of mothers whose children had been born with hyperactive disorders smoked. The scientists note that moms who smoked while they were expecting had triple the likelihood of producing offspring with hyperkinetic disorders, which are marked by impulsive behavior, excessive muscular activity and inattention. The scientists conclude that, by smoking, a pregnant woman exposes the fetus to nicotine, which may “alter receptors for the brain chemical dopamine essential for brain development.”

(Pediatrics, 2005)