Those who smoke around pregnant women could be poisoning the fetuses, judging from the results of a a study that found exposure to secondhand smoke greatly increases the risk of stillbirths and ups the odds the baby will be born with defects.

A CNN blog cites a study that ran in the medical journal Pediatrics that found nonsmoking pregnant women who suffered secondhand smoke were 23 percent more likely to suffer stillbirths and 13 percent more at risk for giving birth to a baby with defects.

The study compiled data from several other worldwide studies that focused on the issue. Says the author, a professor at the University of Nottingham in England:

“We anticipate that the effect becomes significant when the woman is exposed to more than 10 cigarettes a day, which isn’t a lot when you consider that some women are exposed to partners and other people’s smoking habits on a daily basis. However, we need more evidence to be able to say with certainty what the true levels are.”

If you’ve been pregnant, what lengths did you have to go to in order to avoid secondhand smoke?

Pregnant women: Secondhand smoke can harm your unborn baby [CNN]

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