Smoking during pregnancy may increase a child’s risk of schizophrenia, according to a new study released by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

The researchers studied live births in Finland from 1983 to 1998 and found approximately 1,000 cases of schizophrenia among the offspring. The results found that an increased level of nicotine found in the mother’s blood seemed to correlate with an increased risk in schizophrenia, according to Medical News Today.

While it is commonly known that the consumption of nicotine during pregnancy can cause birth defects and other complications in offspring, this study shows that it may affect mental health as well.

The study’s senior author, Dr. Alan Brown, was also involved in a 2013 study that found a link between maternal nicotine consumption and an offspring’s risk of bipolar disorder, according to Medical News Today.

The increased risk is significant, as heavy nicotine usage showed a 38-percent increase in the risk of schizophrenia, according to the study. The researchers expressed the need for further public education concerning smoking and its risk during pregnancy.

For more information about what to avoid during pregnancy, click here.