Smoking linked to Autism, says study

MOTHERS who smoke regularly during pregnancy are 40% more likely to have autistic children, new research claims.

Studying more than 2,000 children, researcher Dr Christina Hultman from the Department of Medical Epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, said there was already thought to be a link between the growth of the foetus in the womb and autism.

She said because smoking also restricts growth it could have a similar effect.