The congenital heart disease are the leading cause of stillbirths and infant mortality worldwide. These malformations of the fetal heart during its formation would affect 5 births in 1,000. If their causes are most often unknown, there are, however, contributing factors, such as tobacco during pregnancy. But according to a study, published in theEuropean European Journal of Preventive Cardiology March 24, father’s smoking can also have consequences for the health of the unborn baby. Even more than that of the mother.
“Future fathers should quit smoking, Explain in a press release Jiabi Qin, study author and doctor at the Xiangya School of Public Health (China). They are an important source of passive smoking for pregnant women, which appears to be even more harmful to unborn children than women who smoke themselves. “
Passive smoking: a risk increased by 124%
To come to conclusions, Jiabi Qin and his team of researchers analyzed 125 studies involving 137,574 babies with congenital heart defects and 8.8 million potential future parents. They studied the relationships between paternal, maternal, passive smoking and the development of pathology in children. Ultimately, all types of parental smoking were associated with risk. But, compared to exposure without tobacco, this was 74% higher for male smokers, 25% for female smokers and 124% for passive smoking.
Because the passive exposure of expectant mothers to smoke entails a risk for their offspring at all stages of gestation. Even before you get pregnant. Smoking during pregnancy is, however, more likely to bear a child with heart disease.
“Women should stop smoking before they get pregnant, so that they do not smoke at the time of conception., says Dr. Jiabi Qin. Staying away from smokers is also important […] Doctors and healthcare professionals need to do more to inform and educate expectant parents about the potential dangers of smoking on their unborn child. “
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