A pilot study by researchers from Durham and Lancaster universities in the UK suggests the harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy may be echoed in the facial movements of unborn infants. 
 
 
 
 These ultrasound images at 32 weeks gestation show the increased mouth and facial-touch movements in the fetus of a smoking mother (top), compared with that of a nonsmoking mother (bottom). 
 
 Image credit: Durham University These ultrasound images at 32 weeks gestation show the increased mouth and facial-touch movements in the fetus of a smoking mother (top), compared with that of a nonsmoking mother (bottom).Image credit: Durham University 
 
 The study, led by Dr. Nadja Reissland of the Department of Psychology at Durham, also found that the effects of stress and depression during pregnancy may be reflected in the facial movements of fetuses, although smoking appears to have a greater impact. 
 
 The team reached their findings - published in the journal Acta Paediatricia - by comparing the 4D ultrasound scans of fetuses whose mothers either engaged in smoking during pregnancy or avoided the habit. 
 
 The health risks of smoking during pregnancy are well documented. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it can cause tissue damage to the fetus - particularly lung and brain damage - and it has also been associated with cleft lip. 
 
 What is more, the CDC state that 1 in 5 babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are born at a low birth weight, which can increase the risk of numerous health problems. 
 
 This latest study provides further evidence that nicotine exposure during pregnancy causes harm to the developing fetus, according to the researchers, who say the findings warrant further investigation. 
 
 Higher rate of mouth and facial-touch movements identified in fetuses of smoking mothers 
 
 The researchers enrolled 20 mothers to the study. Four of these mothers smoked an average of 14 cigarettes a day during pregnancy, while the remaining 16 were nonsmokers. 
 
 The mothers underwent four 4D ultrasound scans during 24-36 weeks gestation, providing the team with a total of 80 scans for analysis. 
 
 The facial movement patterns of fetuses were assessed using a Poisson log-linear mixed model, and the team found that these patterns differed significantly between smoking and nonsmoking mothers. 
 
 Specifically, the researchers found that, compared with the fetuses of nonsmoking mothers, the fetuses of mothers who smoked during pregnancy showed a much higher rate of mouth and facial-touch movements than would normally be expected. Such movements usually decline as pregnancy progresses, but they were persistent across all scans during 24-36 weeks gestation, the team notes. 
 
 The researchers also found that fetuses of mothers who experienced stress or depression during pregnancy showed a higher rate of mouth and facial-touch movements, but the association was much stronger in mothers who smoked. 
 
 Commenting on these findings, Dr. Reissland says: 
 
 "Our findings concur with others that stress and depression have a significant impact on fetal movements, and need to be controlled for, but additionally these results point to the fact that nicotine exposure per se has an effect on fetal development over and above the effects of stress and depression. A larger study is needed to confirm these results and to investigate specific effects, including the interaction of maternal stress and smoking." 
 
 In addition, the team says that future studies should investigate how the smoking behavior of fathers during mothers' pregnancy influences the facial movements of fetuses. 
 
 Medical News Today recently reported on a study published in the journal Circulation, in which researchers claim children exposed to their parents' smoking are more likely to develop heart disease later in life than children of nonsmoking parents. ||||| A pilot study by Durham University researchers looked at the movements of fetuses in smokers and non-smokers. (Photo: Durham University) 
 
 The harmful effects of smoking while pregnant are displayed on the faces of fetuses, according to new research. 
 
 Using high definition images of fetuses in the womb researchers think they can see differences in prenatal developmental behavior in smokers vs. non-smokers. 
 
 During a small pilot study, 20 pregnant women — 16 non-smokers and four smokers — were given ultrasounds to observe fetal activities at 24, 28, 32 and 36 weeks. 
 
 The four fetuses of smoking mothers touched their faces and moved their mouths more than those of non-smoking mothers, says the study published in journal Acta Paediatrica. 
 
 Fetuses touch themselves and move within the womb, but as they get older their movements decrease, according to the lead researcher Nadja Reissland of Durham University in the United Kingdom. 
 
 Reissland says all the fetuses had a healthy birth weight but the images showed that smoking affected "fine grain behaviors." 
 
 "Normal fetal behavior shows fewer movements but the images suggest that fetuses in smokers are less mature in their behavior," Reissland told USA TODAY Network. 
 
 Ultrasound images of a pregnant smokers unborn child. Researchers from Durham University in the United Kingdom found that fetuses in mothers who smoked were more likely to move than those who did not. (Photo: Durham University) 
 
 According to the CDC, one in five babies born to mothers who smoke have a low birth weight. Smoking while pregnant is also more likely to result in preterm delivery and other health issues. 
 
 While rates of smoking among pregnant women have fallen in the U.S., 13.8% smoked while pregnant according to the CDC. 
 
 Reissland says she wants to replicate the results in a larger study with 60 smokers and 60 non-smokers. She hopes the study will one day be a common practice to show mothers and families the effects of smoking on fetuses in the womb. 
 
 "Some research on smell and fetuses can smell different smells and are attracted to smells in the womb so they could be already getting used to the smell of tobacco," Reissland says. 
 
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– It's not exactly bombshell news that smoking during pregnancy probably means bad news for the baby, but the CDC estimates that about 14% of pregnant women in the US still light up anyway. Researchers hope their new study shrinks that number even more, reports USA Today. Using high-definition images of fetuses, they found that those inside smokers touched their faces and moved their mouths significantly more than those in non-smokers. That kind of movement isn't a good sign, because healthy fetuses generally stop such activity over time. The study, then, suggests that "mothers who smoke may delay the development of their babies’ central nervous systems," explains the Independent. The researchers compared fetuses in 20 women, four of whom smoked, and took four sets of 4D ultrasound scans between 24 and 36 weeks. "Normal fetal behavior shows fewer movements, but the images suggest that fetuses in smokers are less mature in their behavior," says lead researcher Nadja Reissland of the UK's Durham University. The team will next use a larger sample of women to see if they can replicate the findings. Researchers also found increased movement in fetuses of women who were stressed or depressed while pregnant, but the association wasn't as strong as with smokers, reports Medical News Today. (Click to read about the bizarre case in which a girl was born pregnant.)