High definition scans have shown the effects of tobacco on babies in the womb, according to a new study.
Pictures taken with 4-D ultrasound show an increased rate of mouth movements among these babies.
Experts at Durham University, UK, say this may indicate delays in the development of the nervous system linked to smoking.
Researchers studied 20 babies, four of them carried by mothers who were heavy smokers, consuming on average 14 cigarettes a day. The others were the children of non-smokers.
They took scans at intervals between 24 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.
Researcher Dr Nadja Reissland said: "Foetal facial movement patterns differ significantly between foetuses of mothers who smoked compared to those of mothers who didn’t smoke.
"Our findings concur with others that stress and depression have a significant impact on foetal movements, and need to be controlled for, but additionally these results point to the fact that nicotine exposure per se has an effect on foetal development over and above the effects of stress and depression.
"A larger study is needed to confirm these results and to investigate specific effects, including the interaction of maternal stress and smoking."
Ultrasound observations of subtle movements: a pilot study comparing fetuses of smoking and non-smoking mothers, Reissland NN, et al, Acta Paediatrica 23 March 2015; DOI: 10.1111/apa.13001 [abstract]
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