One in five pregnant women surveyed in 1991 said she smoked cigarettes, reports the CDC Office on Smoking and Health, Atlanta. Smoking during pregnancy is associated with low birth rate, high rates of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), behavior problems, and learning difficulties. Further, children whose mothers smoke cigarettes during pregnancy had significantly lower IQ scores, according to a study conducted by Cornell University and the University of Rochester. The explanation: smoking apparently reduces the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.

For information on the damage smoking can do to children, born or as yet unborn, contact: American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Blvd., P.O. Box 927, Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927, Phone: (708) 228-5005, FAX: (708) 228-5097.

Joel R. Cooper
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