4D Ultrasound Technique Images Reveals How Maternal Smoking Affects The Growing Foetus

Medical practitioners have been urging expecting mothers to quit smoking since times immemorial. However, the recently released 4D ultrasound images of the growing baby inside a smoker mother womb's is bound to encourage all expecting mothers to quit smoking during pregnancy.

A research conducted by the scientists has revealed how potential problems in the development of the growing baby can be flagged off by noticing the hand and facial movements of the foetuses in the womb of the mother who smoked.

Dr Nadja Reissland from the Durham University used the 4D ultrasound technique to notice the minute movements of the unborn baby in 20 mothers, out of which four mothers on an average smoked 14 cigarettes every day. The study was conducted at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

The ultrasound scans were observed at weeks 24, 28, 32 and 36. The study of the scans revealed that there was significant hand and facial movement in the foetuses belonging to the expecting mothers who smoke as compared to those who don't.

The scan revealed that the unborn babies tend to touch their face and move their mouth and gain more control over their limbs in case of a smoking mother, hence delaying the development of the central nervous system of the babies. The foetal development specialist hopes to conduct the study on a larger population.

"A larger study is needed to confirm these results and to investigate specific effects, including the interaction of maternal stress and smoking," said Reissland, reported The Independent.

The study has been published in the medical journal Acta Paediatrica.

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