We all know that Smoking during pregnancy is harmful not only the mother but also the child. However, the peculiarity of what is happening in this moment in the womb, scientists have surprisingly not been studied in as much detail as I would like. Nevertheless, the results of recent studies indicate that the primary harm from Smoking is applied to the child in the womb is not only nicotine, but also free radicals and also other harmful particles circulating at this point in the mother’s body.
The study was conducted in the framework of international cooperation University of Technology Sydney, University of Chulalongkorn in Bangkok and the Australian Institute of Kolding.
“Before this study it was considered that the main negative effect on the health of the mother and child is nicotine. However, during Smoking the body releases additional toxic substances and billions of free radicals (oxidants) that enter the bloodstream and have a negative impact on the whole body,” — says the head of research Brian Oliver from the University of Sydney.
Smoking affects not only the lungs. Scientists have found that molecules called free radicals, damage the cells of the whole body, and their increased concentration can lead to the development of cancer.
“Free radicals are represented by molecules like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). They have a very high activity and can modify the properties of fabrics (like bleach) in the body. For pregnant women these changes in the body affect the fetus of the unborn child,” adds Oliver.
Prior to that, studies already showed that Smoking can cause developing damage to the lungs, hinder the passage of the air flow and increase the risk of respiratory infections. However, the new study increases our knowledge about the dangers of Smoking and opens the possibility for new research, the purpose of which will be to find ways to reduce the damage to the body.
Smoking when pregnant is stupid and harmful, but the main damage deals no nicotine
Nikolai Khizhnyak