A study of more than 8,500 women by the Institute of Child Health atUniversity College London found that for every five years they spent inthe UK, immigrant mothers were 32 per cent more likely to smoke duringpregnancy and 5 per cent less likely to breastfeed for at least fourmonths.
Professor Catherine Law, one of the study's authors, said, 'We weresurprised at the speed of change. It shows that women from ethnicminorities are being influenced by the same messages that encourageother women to adopt behaviours that aren't in the best interests oftheir children or themselves.
'There are likely to be a number of factors involved, such as marketing,advertising and peer group pressure.'
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