Current Update

 

Smoking, Pregnancy Tied To Crime In Sons

From the San Jose Mercury News, Tuesday, January 22, 2002:

"Women who smoke while they are pregnant appear to be more likely to have sons who get into trouble with the law.

"Researchers analyzed demographic data on 8,000 people born in Denmark from 1959 to 1961, and followed up in 1994 to see who had been arrested. They found a correlation between mothers' smoking and children's criminal behavior, with more cigarettes per day among mothers indicating a greater likelihood of an arrest record for children.

"The researchers established that the results were not connected with the families' socioeconomic backgrounds, pregnancy complications or the mothers' history of psychiatric or substance abuse problems.

"Of the group in which the mothers had not smoked, 25 percent of the sons were arrested. Of the group in which the mothers smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day in the last trimester, 38 percent of the sons were arrested. Even smoking as few as one or two cigarettes a day appeared to increase the likelihood that a son would get arrested.

"While daughters also showed a greater likelihood of arrests, the risk appeared linked to drug abuse. They were more likely to have addictions, leading to criminal behavior and arrests.

"The research, which appears in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry, was conducted by Patricia Brennan, an assistant professor of psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, and colleagues."

Previous Updates