01/08/2005

Link discovered between smoking and anti-social behaviour

Researchers have discovered a possible link between women who smoke and children who display signs of anti-social behaviour.

A team at the Institute of Psychiatry in London carried out a study of identical and non-identical twin pairs. The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that average symptom scores for anti-social behaviour and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased with the number of cigarettes smoked by a woman whilst pregnant.

ADHD, which is known to increase the likelihood of children displaying anti-social behavioural traits, and anti-social behaviour have both been linked to maternal smoking in previous studies.

However, the researchers could not determine whether the anti-social behaviour was directly related to smoking during pregnancy, or was caused by ADHD.

The researchers have advised any pregnant woman not to smoke, although there are other factors, which contribute towards both anti-social behaviour and ADHD.

(KMcA/SP)

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