In the study, children who were quick to hit, bite, kick, fight and bully others were classified as aggressive.
"Mothers-to-be whose lives have been marked by anti-social behaviour have a 67 percent chance to have a physically aggressive child if they smoke 10 cigarettes a day while pregnant, compared with 16 percent for those who are non-smokers or who smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes a day," claimed Dr. Jean Séguin, one of the authors of the study.
Mothers with the highest risk were those who have low incomes, were younger than 21, who smoke and coerce their children to behave.
Reference
Séguin, J.R. & Tremblay, R.E. (In Press). Maternal prenatal smoking, parental antisocial behavior, and early childhood physical aggression. Development and Psychopathology
Source: Adapted from materials provided by EurekAlert
