Scientists from the University of Bristol found that in 9 out of 10 cases, maternal smoking is the main cause of sudden death of a child. Professor Peter Fleming of the Institute of Child Health at the University of Bristol noted that smoking was previously attributed to indirect causes of sudden infant death, the so-called “cradle death”.

However, with the recent introduction of restrictions on smoking in public places in the UK, experts are concerned that people will take up cigarettes at home more often. Therefore, it was decided to conduct a more thorough study of the impact of smoking on the unborn child, as well as on infants in their first years of life .

According to statistics, the number of women who smoke during pregnancy has halved in the last 15 years. Nevertheless, cases of “death in the cradle” among women who smoke have become more frequent. Experts attribute this to the effect of the 1991 campaign, when experts urged all mothers to put babies on their backs during sleep. After that, the number of babies found lifeless in a crib while lying on their stomachs fell sharply. This suggests that smoking is now the main risk factor .

Scientists believe that even for women who did not stop smoking during pregnancy, there are ways to prevent the death of the child. Experts recommend that mothers first of all refrain from smoking in front of children. Since the more hours a child is in a smoky room, the higher his chances of dying a sudden death.

“The relation is clearer than ever,” said Fleming. – The risk of death increased with each new hour of secondhand smoke in a child. For example, if a child smokes for eight hours a day next to him, his chances of “death in the cradle” immediately increase by 8 times. That is, parents need to understand the main thing: even if you cannot quit, do not smoke with your child!