Babies whose teenage mothers had smoked during their pregnancy are more prone to suffer from LBW (low birth weight) than babies whose mothers did not smoke, according to a new study published in the latest edition of Medical Journal of Australia. The study also showed that only one in 15 smoking teenagers quits their habit during pregnancy, the prospect of pregnancy risks mitigating with quit smoking not withstanding.

The Medical Journal of Australia, in its study, points out that low birth weight is the indicator of a newborn's overall health and route of future development. In the observations made as part of the study, scientists from the University of New South Wales found out that 10% of babies born to teenagers who smoke were of low birth weight compared to 6% in women who are non-smokers. The study also points out that woman, who had quit smoking before 20 weeks into pregnancy, delivered healthier babies much like their non-smoking counterparts.

Writing in the journal, Assoc Prof Elizabeth Sullivan and Denise Chan had said that it is crucial for teenage mothers to realize the negative impacts smoking can have on their still born babies for the sake of their baby's health. They further added that 'the important public health message from our study is that quitting smoking before the second half of pregnancy has a positive impact on a baby's birth weight." The study also points out that smoker-mothers, no matter how many cigarettes they smoked daily, had their babies born with lower birth weight.