We are proud to share some of our latest research findings in our article for Stuff.co.nz and The Press, in an article called “New discoveries about the perils of smoking in pregnancy” by Wayne Cutfield and Barry Taylor.
Some of the outtakes are below but we encourage you to take the time over this busy period to read the full article which you can read here, on this very important issue.
This article was written by Director of A Better Start Wayne Cutfield and Deputy Director Barry Taylor.
“There are more consequences of smoking than we may be aware of. For instance, alarmingly our research has clearly shown that maternal smoking during pregnancy is a major risk factor for sudden unexpected death in infancy, with 40-50 babies still dying each year in New Zealand.”
“In the A Better Start – E Tipu e Rea – National Science Challenge, we have been tackling another massive issue that our country faces, childhood obesity.
And it turns out we found a link between both smoking and childhood obesity.”
“In the A Better Start – E Tipu e Rea – National Science Challenge, we have been tackling another massive issue that our country faces, childhood obesity.
“And it turns out we found a link between both smoking and childhood obesity.”
“Women smoking during pregnancy can cause several ill-effects to their children – including, new research suggests, childhood obesity.”
“We knew smoking in pregnancy affects the health of the child, but through our research we further showed a mother who lights up a cigarette while pregnant sets in train a ripple effect that has an impact decades into her unborn child’s life.”
“We have shown from NZ-wide data that babies born to mothers who smoke are twice as likely to be born premature, and four times more likely to be undersized. These conditions can lead to learning and other later health problems.”
About the Authors:
Wayne Cutfield is professor of paediatric endocrinology at the Liggins Institute, a practising paediatric endocrinologist at Starship Children’s Hospital, and Director of A Better Start – E Tipu e Rea – National Science Challenge.
Barry Taylor is a professor of child health at the University of Otago and Deputy Director of A Better Start.
