The number of people with asthma keeps growing. Globally, about 300 million people worldwide suffer from this potentially fatal breathing problem. Surprisingly, say researchers, even before you have your first child, you can unwittingly make your grandkids more susceptible to asthma.
The problem arises when women smoke while pregnant. Previous studies show that mothers who smoke while pregnant make their children more vulnerable to asthma. But laboratory research at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center shows that it also makes grandchildren more likely to develop asthma. That occurs even if their parents never smoke.
In addition, the scientists found evidence that smoking can make great-grandchildren more likely to get asthma.
These results strongly suggest that a tobacco habit may have negative consequences that cause problems down through the generations, particularly by upping the risk of asthma, according to the researchers. Though they’re not yet sure what exactly takes place on a cellular level, they believe that smoking influences which genes are turned on or off in offspring, including genes in their sperm and eggs. These effects can be passed down from parents to offspring over and over, increasing asthma risk for subsequent generations.
source: Easyhealthoptions
via: INFORMATION NIGERIA
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