Smoking During Pregnancy May Cause Asthma, Wheezing in Kids

FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- New research from Sweden suggests that smoking during early pregnancy may boost the risk that preschool children will develop asthma and wheezing problems, even if the kids aren't exposed to smoke after birth.

The findings were published online Aug. 17 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Previous research has suggested that a mother who smokes -- both during and after pregnancy -- boosts a child's risk of wheezing and asthma, study author Dr. Asa Neuman, at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, said in a journal news release.