Pregnant women less likely to smoke than their mothers

Prof Deborah Lawlor, far right, says the study helps track what makes people healthier, what stays the same and what is different - across three generations

Women are less likely to smoke during pregnancy and more likely to be heavier than their mothers, according to new research.

The Children of the 90s study, based at the University of Bristol, also found that young women were more likely to have their babies by Caesarean section.

The findings are published in the 2,000th paper from the study.

Prof Deborah Lawlor from project said the study was unique in that "it can track what happens across generations".

Higher cholesterol

Between April 1991 and December 1992 the study recruited more than 14,000 pregnant women from the Bristol area.

It has followed their health and the development of their children ever since and has become a world-leader in genetic research, analysing the genome - or genetic blueprint - of thousands of participants.

"We can track across generations what things make people healthier, what stays the same and what is different," said Prof Lawlor.

The study has found that pregnant women have higher cholesterol levels than their mothers, and their babies are heavier, which may be why they have more Caesarean sections.

They are also more likely to breastfeed than their mothers, and more likely to report anxious feeling and feeling overwhelmed.