Smoking, Congenital Finger Defects Linked

Women who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk that their child will be born with extra fingers, missing fingers or webbed fingers, researchers report in the January issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Examining the records of more than 6.8 million live births in the U.S. during 2001 and 2002, the researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that women who smoke one to 10 cigarettes per day increased their risk by 29%, while those who smoked a pack per day nearly doubled the risk.