Posted on 01/09/2006 8:19:48 AM PST by billorites
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Women have yet another reason to stop smoking while pregnant. In the largest study of its kind, plastic surgeons found smoking during pregnancy significantly elevates the risk of having a child with excess, webbed or missing fingers and toes, according to the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). In fact, the study found that smoking just half a pack per day increases the risk of having a child born with a toe or finger defect by 29 percent. “Reconstructive surgery to repair limb, toe and finger abnormalities in children represents a large portion of my practice – it is the most common issue I treat,” said Benjamin Chang, MD, ASPS member and study author. “Parents would ask why this happened to their child, but I didn’t have an answer. This study shows that even minimal smoking during pregnancy can significantly increase the risk of having a child with various toe and finger defects.”
Researchers examined the records of more than 6.8 million live births in the United States during 2001 and 2002, finding 5,171 children born with a digital anomaly where the mother smoked during pregnancy but did not suffer from other medical complications, such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure.
The study authors discovered pregnant women who smoked one to 10 cigarettes per day increased the risk of having a child with a toe or finger deformity by 29 percent. The more a woman smoked, the higher the risk became. Women who smoked 11 to 20 cigarettes a day raised the risk 38 percent, and women who smoked 21 or more cigarettes per day raised the risk 78 percent.
Known as polydactyly, syndactyly and adactyly, these deformities are the most common congenital limb abnormalities. Polydactyly is the presence of more than five digits on the hands or feet. Syndactyly is having fused or webbed fingers or toes. Adactyly is the absence of fingers or toes.
Webbed fingers or toes occur one in every 2,000 to 2,500 live births and excess fingers or toes occur one in every 600 live births. Webbed fingers or toes occur twice as often in boys and are more common in Caucasians than African Americans. Excess digits, however, are 10 times more common in African Americans and are only slightly prevalent in boys. Nevertheless, the majority of these defects occur without any family history and most causes are unknown which has lead researchers to investigate environmental causes, such as smoking, for these anomalies.
“The results of this study were interesting. We suspected that smoking was a cause of digital anomalies but didn’t expect the results to be so dramatic,” said Dr. Chang. “Smoking is so addictive that pregnant women often can’t stop the habit, no matter what the consequences. Our hope is this study will show expectant mothers another danger of lighting up.”
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Thanks for the ping, this story has broken my BS meter.. I mean COME ON.. what will they blame on smoking next?
"News Flash, smoking causes your ears to pop off and explode killing innocent bystanders with second hand ear blast" lololol
Its really getting nuts.
It IS nuts! Every time we turn around here comes a new bogus study down the pike. After hundreds of years of tobacco, and we are still here. Go figure.
And they wonder why we laugh at them.............
I have an old boyfriend who had webbed toes. I wonder if his mom smoked.
When I got pregnant with my first child,who was born in 1971, I asked my OB if my smoking would be a problem. He said "nope,just be careful how much weight you gain. Back then Dr's were nuts about weight gain.My daughter was born healthy and weighed 9lbs.5oz. Thirteen months later her brother was born at 9lbs.9oz. Again healthy and I was still smoking. With my 3rd, 3 years later, my Dr. didn't care how much weight I gained or if I smoked. I quit cold turkey mid-pregnancy(have never gone back)and this guy was a whopping 9lb. 11oz.All have normal fingers and toes too!
Thanks for the ping!
More than hundreds. The origins of tobacco smoking predates written history in America alone.
You assume too much here. . .and yes, my parents smoked as well; and I have great feet (!) . . .
That humbly noted, I do not smoke and neither does my husband - who gave it up, post college - I hate almost everything about it. . .save a persons 'right' to avail oneself, to what is still, a legal substance.
I hate even more than someone needing a cigarette; a person who hypocritically damn's a citizen's right to engage. . .
While some. . .'care'; their care is misplaced; thanks mostly to those who 'claim' to care about the next generation of toes, feet. . .hearts. . .lives of children and adults. ..the environment et al and ad nauseum. . .
These people care first and foremost about their own wallets and their bank accounts. . .and for those who like 'power' there is a special payoff here. . .they really do like undermining if not controlling, the choices of others.
Meantime, many of these same protesters of cigarette smoking, would probably vote as well and in a heartbeat. . .to legalize marijuana. . .and probably think giving alcohol to the 'addicted homeless' is a great idea. . .
Heh.
'After examing the anal orifices of 156,002 statistical researchers, researchers have concluded that keeping a tidy desk will cause frozen sphincter syndrome.'
NNooww II uunnddeerrssttaanndd hhooww II ggoott tthhee eexxttrraa ffiinnggeerrss..
They were great swimmers.
e.) Bull shit
>>>>These people care first and foremost about their own wallets and their bank accounts. . .and for those who like 'power' there is a special payoff here. . .they really do like undermining if not controlling, the choices of others.
Yuppers.
The Cigarette Restitution Fund enables multiple grant money systems that is being overly abused.
Excellent way of putting it.
But the biggest risks to children being born with missing fingers, hands, legs and heads is abortion.
And don't forget the Highballs.
That's all just fine - as long as the mother doesn't smoke.
Congrats!!
My mom smoked, and I smoked, during pregnancy, and that's 7 kids altogether so far perfectly normal (just don't ask my husband about his brother-in-laws). One of my brothers is gay...hmmm. I think I need a federal grant to study the effects of smoking on fetuses and if it cause homosexuality!
A doubling of the incident doesn't mean the incidence for those without the behavior is zero.
I have seen great damage done by smoking within my own family but do not support the campaigns to completely eliminate it. You seem to be among the minority of smokers which does not try to deny its destructiveness. Look at the comments here many of which are of the "well my mom smoked and I am ok" type as though that was a refutation of the points the doctor made.
Of course, he did not say "Every smoking mom will have children with defects" but merely pointed to the increase chance of such defects. If defects are normally 20 out of a thousand and with smokers 30 out of a thousand the vast majority of births to smokers will NOT have defects even though these numbers show a 50% increase in birth defects.
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