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Smoking during pregnancy puts children at risk of psychotic symptoms

03:20 02.10.2009

Mothers who smoke during pregnancy put their children at greater risk of developing psychotic symptoms in their teenage years. New research published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry shows a link between maternal tobacco use and psychotic symptoms. Researchers from Cardiff, Bristol, Nottingham and Warwick Universities studied 6,356 12-year-olds from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. All the children completed an interview for psychotic-like symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions. Just over 11% of the children (734) had suspected or definite symptoms of psychosis. 


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