Smokers have crabby babies

Pregnant mothers who smoke at least 15 cigarettes a day may be twice as likely to have colicky babies as women who don’t smoke.

According to the August issue of Pediatrics, new findings support previous studies that show a link between smoking and infant colic.

The study defines colic as a prolonged bout of crying or irritability that has no apparent cause.

The study showed that babies born to mothers who smoked either during or soon after pregnancy suffered a greater risk of colic.

The mother’s age, marital status, consumption of alcohol and caffeine, and breast-feeding habits didn’t seem to increase the risk of colic, nor did the child’s birth weight and the father’s smoking habits.

The study suggests smoking may affect babies’ gastrointestinal tracts or irritate their upper respiratory airways, thereby raising the risk of colic.