Current Affairs

Issue

A new study has stated that consequences of smoking are likely to be passed on to the next few generations.

 

Background

Smoking is a dangerous habit, as it can pose serious health hazards. The new study says that consequences of smoking are more far-reaching and long-term.

 

Details

• Individuals having smoking habit can experience harmful effects not just on themselves, but also on their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

• The study was known as ‘Children of the 90s’ and its findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

 

The ‘children of 90s’ project

• The project was carried out for a period of 30 years during which blood, urine, placenta, teeth, hair and nails samples were collected from participants.

• The project aimed to assess the environment and genetic factors that affect an individual’s health and development.

• Some information found was fascinating such as lines on a baby’s teeth can help determine their risk of developing depression, or how watching TV is linked to an increased risk of asthma.

• The effects of consumed food during three years of age could determine the performance in school was also found out.

 

Study on smoking

• The study included only grandfathers and great-grandfathers as less grandmothers and great-grandmothers claimed to have smoked before puberty.

• Women whose paternal grandfathers and great-grandfathers began smoking before puberty saw increased body fat.

• The most intriguing fact was that increased body fat was found only in granddaughters and great-granddaughters but not in the grandsons or great-grandsons.

• Children had elevated levels of cotinine in their blood if their mother smoked. This was seen in those children whose mothers smoked 10 cigarettes a day.

• Men who started smoking before the age of 11 had sons who had about 5-10 kg more body fat than their compatriots.

• If a woman’s maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy then she was 67 per cent more likely to show certain traits linked to autism, such as poor social communication skills and repetitive behaviours.