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In case you didn't know, smoking while pregnant is bad for your child's health. 

A new study has suggested that maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with wheeze and asthma in preschool children, even among children who were not exposed to maternal smoking late in pregnancy or after birth. 

The findings were published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Researchers examined data of over 21,000 children - 735 of which were exposed to maternal smoking only during pregnancy. The researchers questioned the parents about exposure information and symptoms of wheeze and asthma. 

Researchers said while previous studies were unable to differentiate the effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure to smoking, epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to maternal smoking during fetal and early life increases the risk of childhood wheezing and asthma, causing an increased risk for wheeze and asthma at preschool age. 

Based on the results and other adjusted factors like weight and gender, researchers found that maternal smoking only during pregnancy was associated with increased risks for wheeze  and asthma at age four to six years and maternal smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy, but not during the third trimester or the first year following birth, was associated with increased risks for subsequent wheeze and asthma.

Researchers said the results indicate that the harmful effects of maternal smoking on the fetal respiratory system begin early in pregnancy, perhaps before the women is even aware that she is pregnant and teens and young women should be encouraged to quit smoking before getting pregnant.