Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke during their early development can develop abnormal behavioral symptoms by the age of ten years. This association was discovered using data from the GINI-plus study by scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München in collaboration with colleagues of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Technische Universität München and Marienhospital Wesel. The scientists observed that the impact of tobacco smoke was especially detrimental during gestation. The results of the study have been published in the current online issue of the renowned journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

“We were able to show that children who are exposed to tobacco smoke prenatally and during the first years of life have a higher risk of developing abnormal behavioral symptoms when they are of school age,” said Dr. Joachim Heinrich of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Zentrum München. “Moreover, it makes a difference whether the child was exposed to tobacco smoke first after birth or was already confronted with it during prenatal development.”

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