Do you smoke? Then pause a moment to listen to what I have to say? Your smoking habit could affect your child, and cause damage that persists even in adulthood. Scary is it not? So before you light up that cigarette, think about the future of your child. Researchers say that parents should not smoke, if they want to provide the best long term cardiovascular health for their children.
Smoking is dangerous
In a nutshell, researchers measured the blood cotinine levels of participants, from samples frozen and collected in 1980. These persons were participants of an earlier study.
Now, cotinine is a biomarker of passive smoking, the unwanted inhaling of cigarette smoke, by people who do not smoke.
The researchers found zero levels of cotinine in non-smoking households. The cotinine levels were higher in the blood samples of children, when both their parents smoked.
The high levels of cotinine in blood samples, could increase the risk factor of developing carotid plaques in adulthood, for those kids exposed to secondhand smoke. It can also increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
Smoking can affect unborn babies
In a recent research study, scientists found that smoking during pregnancy, may affect the facial movements of the unborn babies.
The researchers believe that, the development of central nervous system, which controls movements in general, and facial movements might be affected due to maternal smoking.
The scientists found that the rate of development of the central nervous system, of fetuses whose mothers smoked, was not at par with that of those unborn babies whose mothers never smoked.
I think a simple addiction could hamper the lifelong progress of a future generation. Should we be a part of this?
Take care,
Take care,
Swarnam
Swarnam