Smoking gene in pregnancy

Published on Thursday 14 May 2009 22:04

WOMEN who smoke during pregnancy can blame their genes, according to research.

Scientists have found a common mutation that makes it difficult for mothers-to-be to give up smoking, even though it can lead to problems for the child.

In a survey of 2,474 women who smoked regularly immediately before they became pregnant, those with a variant in a subunit of a gene known as a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which has also been linked to increased cigarette consumption, were about a third less likely than others to give up.