Smoking Mothers May Reduce HDL Cholesterol For Their Children

A recent study demonstrated that smoking during pregnancy may result in reducing the level of HDL cholesterol in the bodies of children, which have a bad effect with age.

HDL is known as a High-density lipoprotein (HDL) also helps in the prevention of heart disease as people age.

The research team tested the effect of maternal smoking on the thickness of artery walls and levels of High-density lipoprotein (HDL) at 405 children in the age of eight years between 1997-1999, and had these children have been enrolled in the BC experience the process of looking at the allergies and asthma.

The researchers collected information on maternal smoking during and after pregnancy and the impact on children after birth, and used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the wall of the arteries, were also taken blood samples from 328 infants from the sample to measure the level of High density lipoprotein (HDL).

smoking- mothers

And confirm the lack of effect of smoking on thickness of the wall of the arteries of children, which is a signs of heart disease, but the level of High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was less than the normal level, which increases the risk of coronary artery disease in advanced stages of life of children by between 10 to 15% .

The study showed that the child reaches the age of eight at least has the proportion of High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by about 10% of the normal level if it was born the mother smoked during pregnancy, and whether children are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth or not, it did not change the search result is evidence that fetal exposure to smoking have influence of his health in old age.

Said study author David Salrmajer professor at the University of Sydney, “suggests the results of this study that smoking in pregnancy leaves a mark on a set of properties is the health of fetuses in the womb of their mothers, which makes them more  of heart attack later, and remains of these features affect the child until the age of eight and perhaps more. ”

The researchers related smoking during and after pregnancy and a series of health problems in children, including behavioral problems and neurological knowledge and even the sudden death of infants, but it has yet to prove whether exposure of embryos to passive smoking of the mother increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the future or not .

He added: “We still need to follow up the situation of these young people for longer periods to see if this was the negative impact of smoking pregnant mother will continue  proportion of HDL cholesterol when young or not.”

It is noteworthy that there are approximately 15% of women in Western society do not interrupt their smoking during pregnancy.