4D scans shows how unborn babies are affected when their mums smoke

If you have been struggling just to give up smoking during pregnancy and you want a reason to do so, this is for you: images have been released by scientists at Durham University showing the difference between unborn babies of smoking mothers and non-smoking mothers. 

The 4D images, taken during the 32nd week of pregnancy, show a clear difference: the babies of smoking mothers were seen touching their faces significantly more than those with non-smoking mothers. 

And although it appears these babies jump with pain or trying to protect their faces from the smoke (which is sad enough) the reality of what's happening is actually far more concerning: foetuses touch their mouths and faces less often the older and more developed they become, so experts say the scans show that smoking during pregnancy is actually deter the development of the baby.

Lead researcher Dr Nadja Reissland monitored 20 mothers who visited the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough throughout their pregnancies, four of whom smoked 14 cigarettes averagely a day, to get the images.

So although it's quite a small sample group and more research is needed to fully confirm these results, researchers hope this will encourage more women to stop smoking during pregnancy for the sake of their unborn babies.