Vitamin & # 39; C & # 39; protects the lungs of a baby smoker

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Taking vitamin C supplements could reduce the damage to the fetal lungs during mother's smoking during pregnancy, according to a recent US study.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Oregon and published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Respiratory Medicine and Critical Care.
To monitor the effect of vitamin C intake during pregnancy on the health of the fetus, the team monitored 251 pregnant women who smoked for 13 to 23 weeks of gestation.
A total of 125 women received vitamin C supplements during the study period, while 126 women received placebo during the same period.
Researchers reported that all participants had taken quit smoking counseling for the duration of the study and that about 10% of women had responded to these sessions and quit smoking during the study. # 39; study.
The researchers found that mothers who consumed 500 milligrams of vitamin C supplementation during the study period had less damage to the infant's lungs when they smoked during pregnancy than their mothers who had a placebo after measuring pulmonary function in newborns.
"Helping mothers quit should remain the primary goal of health professionals and public health officials," said Dr. Cindy McQuee, head of the research team.
"Although vitamin C supplementation may protect to some extent the lungs of infants born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy, these children will continue to be at increased risk of obesity, behavioral disorders, and high blood pressure. other serious health problems. "
Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables, including guava, orange, lemon, kiwi, broccoli, turkey, strawberry, mango, tangerine, tomatoes, lemonade, and more. anan, melon, bananas and apples. It is available in pharmacy.
Previous studies have shown that "women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have children with many health problems, including low birth weight, premature birth, congenital anomalies, sudden death syndrome. infant, as well as visual disturbances and age ".
She added that maternal smoking also affects the lungs' effectiveness in newborns, which are major causes of infant mortality, in addition to its negative impact on physical growth and maturity in adolescence. .
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco kills an estimated 6 million people each year in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, including more than 5 million former and current tobacco users and around 600,000 non-smokers. smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
Smoking is one of the leading causes of many chronic diseases, including cancer, lung disease and cardiovascular disease, she said.