Smoking During Pregnancy Boosts Baby's Blood Pressure

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"One thing you don't have to look for is another argument against smoking," he said. "Every aspect of it is bad. It is one of the worst poisons we have."

But the increase in infant blood pressure could be significant if it persists, Katz said. "What is very important is how long this lasts," he said. "Is this a phenomenon that will wear itself out? It would require a long-term study to determine that."

The Dutch researchers said they plan to follow the children for at least four to five years to see if the increase in systolic blood pressure persists.

Even if the rise in blood pressure is found not to continue to later life, Katz said the study results "add an additional straw, and the camel's back is breaking," referring to the many damaging effects of maternal smoking on the fetus. It never hurts to have one more evidence of damage to present to women of childbearing age, he said.

"Who knows at what point in the various arguments the conviction that smoking in pregnancy is bad will prevail?" he asked. "Women who have trouble with their blood pressure might respond to this, too."

More information

More detailed information on the dangers of smoking during pregnancy is provided by the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.