SMOKING, PREGNANCY TIED TO CRIME IN SONS

Women who smoke while they are pregnant appear to be more likely to have
sons who get into trouble with the law.

Researchers analyzed demographic data on 8,000 people born in Denmark from
1959 to 1961, and followed up in 1994 to see who had been arrested. They
found a correlation between mothers' smoking and children's criminal
behavior, with more cigarettes per day among mothers indicating a greater
likelihood of an arrest record for children.

The researchers established that the results were not connected with the
families' socioeconomic backgrounds, pregnancy complications or the
mothers' history of psychiatric or substance abuse problems.

Of the group in which the mothers had not smoked, 25 percent of the sons
were arrested. Of the group in which the mothers smoked more than 10
cigarettes a day in the last trimester, 38 percent of the sons were
arrested. Even smoking as few as one or two cigarettes a day appeared to
increase the likelihood that a son would get arrested.

While daughters also showed a greater likelihood of arrests, the risk
appeared linked to drug abuse. They were more likely to have addictions,
leading to criminal behavior and arrests.

The research, which appears in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry,
was conducted by Patricia Brennan, an assistant professor of psychology at
Emory University in Atlanta, and colleagues.