The risk of stillbirth and birth defects is increased with passive smoking, as stated by researchers at Nottingham University after conducting a study.

There was a 23 per cent risk of stillbirth among women who were around people who were regular smokers and there was a 13 per cent risk of birth defects.

From about 19 countries around the world, studies were examined and this included the continents of South America, North America, Asia and Europe.

Women who were pregnant were taken for the study and all these women were not smokers but they were around someone who smoked or worked in an environment where someone smoked.

It was seen in the study that the risk of stillbirth and birth defects was increased among those women who had an exposure to 10 cigarettes every day.

It was stated by Dr Jo Leonardi-Bee, lead researcher of the study and associate professor in medical statistics at the University of Nottingham, that the time when the fetus gets affected by smoke was not known as yet.

She added, “What we still don't know is whether it is the effect of sidestream smoke that the woman inhales that increases these particular risks or whether it is the direct effect of mainstream smoke that the father inhales during smoking that affects sperm development, or possibly both.”