• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Health

Prenatal smoking risks academic achievement of unborn babies

by
September 6, 2025
in Health
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Cigarette
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Smoking harms almost every part of your body. But if you smoke when pregnant, the toxic chemicals in tobacco will also harm your unborn baby, with new research showing that it could lead to reduced academic outcomes at school.

Smoking harms almost every part of your body. But if you smoke when pregnant, the toxic chemicals in tobacco will also harm your unborn baby, with new research showing that it could lead to reduced academic outcomes at school.

 

In a systematic review of 19 studies and 1.25 million participants, researchers at the University of South Australia along with a team at Curtin University, SAHMRI, Harvard University and others* found that 79% of studies reported reduced academic achievement in children exposed to maternal prenatal smoking.

 

An additional meta-analysis of eight primary studies with 723,877 participants showed that children exposed to maternal prenatal tobacco smoking were 49% more likely to struggle with poor academic achievement in comparison to those who had not been exposed to smoking in utero.

 

In Australia, 8.7% (or 26,433) of all mothers who gave birth in 2021 smoked at some time during their pregnancy.

 

Lead researcher, UniSA’s Dr Bereket Duko, says that despite what is already known about smoking, research is still uncovering additional negative effects.

 

“For decades, agencies across the globe have pushed anti-smoking campaigns about the dangers of smoking. But despite these efforts, tobacco smoking remains a pervasive global public health issue,” Dr Bereket says.

 

“Prenatal smoking is known to cause multiple pregnancy complications, including a higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, restricted growth and development, and serious birth defects. It is also linked with adverse mental health outcomes and behavioural issues.

 

“Our new research adds to this, by showing that maternal prenatal smoking has a significant risk of limiting a child’s academic performance, putting them well behind their peers at school.

 

“We all want children to have the best start in life. But clearly, we must do better to educate mothers and families about the noxious effects of smoking while pregnant on mother and baby.

 

“Remember, the fight against smoking is not one we have already won. Yes, we have made big steps to reduce the number of people smoking, and we have made many aware of the health risks. But this is an ongoing battle, and we must continue to educate people about the dangers of tobacco so that the next generations do not unnecessarily suffer.”

 

Notes or editors:

*Additional partners include the University of Iceland, the University of Queensland, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and the University of Sydney.

 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact for interview:  Dr Bereket Duko M: +61 410 350 140 E: [email protected]
Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: [email protected]



Journal

Addictive Behaviors

DOI

10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.107985

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

The effect of maternal prenatal tobacco smoking on offspring academic achievement: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Article Publication Date

15-Jun-2024

COI Statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Tags: Academic achievementchild developmentMaternal HealthMeta-analysisPrenatal smoking
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Comparing Mental Health Services: Refugees vs. General Population

October 7, 2025

Lobeline Boosts Stress Granules, Cell Death in Glioblastoma

October 7, 2025

Career Adaptability Patterns in Chinese Cardiovascular Nurses

October 7, 2025

Once-Weekly Insulin Icodec: Efficacy and Safety in India

October 7, 2025

POPULAR NEWS

  • New Study Reveals the Science Behind Exercise and Weight Loss

    New Study Reveals the Science Behind Exercise and Weight Loss

    95 shares
    Share 38 Tweet 24
  • New Study Indicates Children’s Risk of Long COVID Could Double Following a Second Infection – The Lancet Infectious Diseases

    94 shares
    Share 38 Tweet 24
  • Ohio State Study Reveals Protein Quality Control Breakdown as Key Factor in Cancer Immunotherapy Failure

    74 shares
    Share 30 Tweet 19
  • New Insights Suggest ALS May Be an Autoimmune Disease

    72 shares
    Share 29 Tweet 18

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Comparing Mental Health Services: Refugees vs. General Population

Scientists Find Enlarged Spinal Cord Regions in Fish, Previously Seen Only in Tetrapods

Study Reveals Solar Energy as the Most Affordable Power Source Globally

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 63 other subscribers
  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.