Pregnant smokers harming daughters' fertility: Study
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A shocking new study reveals that pregnant women who smoke could not only be harming themselves but their daughter's fertility.
Scientists say they believe tobacco contains toxins that "masculinize" girls while they are in the womb.
According to the Turkish research team, daughters of smokers revealed signs of having high exposure to testosterone — the main male sex hormone.
As a result, this could have dire consequences for their procreation.
The same findings were not found in boys or babies whose moms didn't hack butts.
Smoking during pregnancy has long been regarded as a health taboo but the new research exposes long-range implications.
Already, smoking during pregnancy has been linked to premature birth. Premature babies have a higher preponderance of disability and early death.
According to the Daily Mail, researchers at Cigli State Training Hospital studied more than 100 newborns — 56 females and 64 males.
Researchers then measured the anogenital distance (AGD), which is the space between the midpoint of the anus to a point of the genitalia — a medical measurement of testosterone levels.
Female babies exposed to prenatal smoke had a significantly larger AGD length.
"AGD is an important biomarker of fetal androgen exposure and intrauterine masculinization," Dr. Deniz Ozalp Kizilay said.
"This significant increase in AGD in girls exposed to maternal smoking may be an indicator of excessive testosterone exposure that poses a risk for short and long-term health problems, including metabolism and fertility."
He added: "To our knowledge, this is the first time that the unfavourable effects of prenatal smoke exposure on AGD, as a marker of testosterone exposure, has been demonstrated in female newborns."