Tobacco.org

Cot death alert over nicotine patches and gum 

Prof Lagercrantz is convinced he has found the major cause of cot death. "If women gave up nicotine altogether the problem with cot death could probably be virtually eliminated," he said.

However, the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths urges caution. "In some families where a baby dies, neither parent smokes," said a spokeswoman. "There will be a number of different factors working on different babies in different ways. It is all about a vulnerable point of development."

But FSID says that if mothers smoke in pregnancy, their babies are up to 15 times more likely to die a cot death, and they urge both parents to try and give up before trying for a child.

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