Remarkable images of Foetus Reaction when exposed to Smoking of Cigarettes by their Mother

Thanks to technology that many things can no longer be hidden. Scans reveal foetuses carried by mothers who smoke touch their faces and mouths much more than those carried by non-smokers, researchers from Durham and Lancaster University found.

The image shows a 32 week-old foetus carried by a mother who smokes (top) and a foetus of the same age carried by a non-smoking mother (bottom).

The more developed a foetus is, the less they touch their mouth and face. Therefore researchers say the scans show how unborn babies of mothers who smoke may have delayed development. The scans could be used to encourage pregnant women to give up smoking, experts said.

Co-author Professor Brian Francis, of Lancaster University, added: 'Technology means we can now see what was previously hidden, revealing how smoking affects the development of the foetus in ways we did not realize.

 

'This is yet further evidence of the negative effects of smoking in pregnancy.'

The research was published in the journal Acta Paediatrica.