WebMD Medical News Brenda Goodman, MA Louise Chang, MD July 11,
2011 -- Babies born to moms who smoke are more likely to have
certain birth defects compared to infants with mothers who don't
smoke during pregnancy, a large new study shows. The study, a
fresh look at 50 years of research, is the first scientific
review of studies that have looked at the connection between
smoking and birth defects. It includes information on nearly 12
million infants, including 173,000 that were born with malformed
bodies. "This is a seminal paper," says Michael Katz, MD, senior
vice president of research and global programs for the March of
Dimes and a professor emeritus at Columbia University. Katz says
previous studies have revealed piecemeal links between maternal
smoking and birth defects, particularly the risk for cleft lips
and cleft palates. But none has ever revealed such a
comprehensive picture of the harms smoking is likely to cause.
"This is an encyclopedic review," Katz tells WebMD. Experts have
long suspected tha