Tobacco toxins in the womb might have a harmful effect on developing eggs in a female foetus JONATHAN BRADY/PA WIREGirls are more likely to display autistic traits if their maternal grandmother smoked when she was pregnant, researchers have claimed. A girl whose maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy was 67 per cent more likely to display certain autistic traits, such as poor communication and repetitive behaviour, than one without a family history of smoking. The research is part of a wider study of 14,500 people. It was published in Scientific Reports and also suggested that if a maternal grandmother smoked it increased the chances of her grandchildren of either sex having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by 53 per cent. Scientists said that tobacco toxins in the womb might have a harmful effect on developing eggs in a female foetus, increasing the next generation’s risk…

Source: The Times April 27, 2017 16:02 UTC