Smoking when pregnant ''increases risk of kids'' sleep disorders''
10/05/2010
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of sleep problems in children, new research has suggested.
Researchers in the US studied 1,400 kids to discover that those who had been exposed to nicotine in the womb had a harder time getting bed rest at night, Reuters Health reports.
Dr Kristen Stone of Women and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island told the news provider that heavier smoking was also linked to a correspondent increase in the severity of sleep problems.
She added that early attention to these disorders could help to alleviate the symptoms and help kids to get better rest on their mattresses at night.
"Even an emphasis on basic behavioural sleep education could serve those children well," Dr Stone commented.
According to a study in Italy published in this month''s edition of the journal Chest, obese children are more likely to snore and suffer from obstructive sleep apnea than their slimmer counterparts.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes.
