In very preliminary research published in JAMA, researchers found evidence of mutations in cells from fetuses whose mothers smoked tobacco. There were some serious limitations to the study, and further research is needed. However, there has long been indirect evidence that tobacco smoke can cause mutations in the cells of the fetus.
Many harmful effects of smoking while pregnant on the baby have already been discovered; genetic mutations may soon be added to the list. Tobacco smoke is already known to cause more forms of cancer than any other substance, including oral and nasal cancer, cancer of the esophagus, throat, lungs, pancreas and bladder. Whether the findings of this particular study are confirmed or not, it is clear that smoking while pregnant is extremely harmful to both the mother and the baby.
