Most statistics show that more than 90 percent of smokers start their habit before the age of 18, which means that, once they start, there is little turning back. Because of the addiction nicotine gives, people cannot separate themselves from their favorite cigarette. Unfortunately, neither can pregnant women, who continue to smoke even while they are carrying a baby. Not quitting this habit can cause significant health problems for the infant, including oral clefts, irritability and other afflictions.
 

In order to better understand the effects that cigarette smoke has on young infants, an international research team, comprised of scientists from Texas, Norway and Holland, studied serum samples collected between 2003 and 2005 from women participating in the California Expanded AFP (alpha fetoprotein) program. They found out that increased levels of cotinine – a substance resulted from the processing of nicotine inside the human body – caused some 250 percent increased chances of babies being either prematurely born, or developing oral clefts.
 

These clefts pose significant health risks for infants, says Dr. Gary Shaw of the March of Dimes Institute, who goes on to explain that "Babies with oral clefts require significant medical care – often four surgeries by age two – and may have speech, hearing, and feeding problems."
 

In a different study, 56 children were subjected to scientific scrutiny, so that scientists could determine how they react to nicotine exposure. The team learned that 28 babies that lived with smoking parents exhibited higher levels of discomfort, and they were more irritable and very difficult to soothe. On the other hand, children living in smoke-clean environments were more calm and easier to soothe, as the mothers reported.
 

University of Maryland Dr. Cynthia Bearer says that, in order to prevent teenagers from picking up smoking, parents should take a more active role in explaining the risks of nicotine addiction to their children. At a fragile age, peer influence can be very strong, and researchers say that this is one of the main causes for increased numbers of smokers worldwide.