Can smoking during pregnancy create emotional / mental problems for the fetus later in life?
There are no substantial medical research studies that conclusively support a link between smoking and mental and emotional issues. Smoking HAS been linked to small birthweight, prematurity, decreased placental function, etc. The long-term effects of these issues are directly related to the status of the baby at birth, meaning, if you have a very small baby born very early, it is more likely to suffer from conditions that can cause brain damage, etc. But if the smoking mother of a baby that is born full-term and of an appropriate weight, etc., baby is likely to suffer no long term consequences from exposure in utero (nothing that has been proven, as I said). Some studies will show that children of smokers have cognitive and behavioral issues, but most will agree that it cannot be directly linked to the smoke exposure in utero, and that it could be related to other complex environmental and social factors. But smoking *may* be a factor. And we know that it causes problems when there is
