Study Finds That Secondhand Smoke Impacts Fertility

It's common knowledge that smoking presents a risk to pregnant women and their unborn children but a recent, long-term study reveals strong evidence that secondhand smoke can also cause significant problems.

The research was done at the University of Rochester in New York. It showed that women who had been exposed to secondhand smoke in childhood and adulthood were 39 percent more likely to have had a miscarriage or stillbirth.

In results the study's lead author, Luke Peppone described, as "breathtaking" 68 percent of the women were more likely to have had problems getting pregnant.

The study noted that the risks of these problems went up in tandem with the number of hours per day that a woman was exposed to secondhand smoke which the team believes shows a cause and effect relationship.