Smacking or shouting at your children may put them at a greater risk of cancer, heart disease and asthma later in life, a new study has warned. The study found the link could be caused because smacking and shouting at children causes them stress. The increased stress levels then cause biological changes within an individual which can lead to serious health problems, the Telegraph reported.

Researchers from Plymouth University found the stress caused by smacking in early years may lead to biological changes which predispose to disease.

The research team asked 250 healthy adults in Saudi Arabia about their childhood and compared the answers to 150 adults with heart disease, 150 with cancer and 150 with asthma.

Those who had cancer were 70% more likely to have been beaten as a child compared to the healthy group. Those with cardiac disease were 30% more likely and those with asthma 60% more likely.