Combination of smoking, weight problems during pregnancy can cause congenital heart defects
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Smokers who plan on becoming pregnant can help themselves quit the habit by purchasing cheap cessation products through a Canada online pharmacy. Giving up smoking may be especially important for women who are overweight, as new research has revealed that a combination of tobacco use and weight problems during pregnancy can increase the risk of congenital heart defects in babies.
A team of researchers reviewed the medical data of nearly 800 children born with heart abnormalities, but no other problems. These babies were compared to 322 individuals who had genetic defects but no heart issues.
Results showed that women who both smoked and had a body mass index of 25 or higher were 2.5 times more likely to have a baby born with a heart defect, compared to mothers who demonstrated only one of these risk factors.
One of the most common problems concerned reduced outflow of blood from the heart's ventricles.
"These results indicate that maternal smoking and overweight may both be involved in the same pathway that causes congenital heart defects," the researchers wrote in their paper, published in the journal Heart.
About eight out of every 1,000 babies are born with heart abnormalities, but only 15 percent of cases have a known cause, according to the scientists.
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