It is a sad fact that cigarette smoking while pregnant can negatively affect our lives whether we smoke or not. The dangers of second-hand smoke have been documented in numerous studies. The dangers and risks of cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke to pregnant women and unborn babies is even higher.
Cigarette smoking is often a very difficult habit to break and surveys have shown that many pregnant women continue to smoke throughout their pregnancies. While it would seem unlikely that these women would be unaware of the dangers they continue to smoke, perhaps it is too difficult for some of these women to stop. However, the sad truth is that cigarettes smoking during pregnancy puts an unborn baby at much higher risk for sickness and even death.
Cigarette smoke is loaded with chemicals. There may be as many as 2500 different chemicals contained in cigarette smoke and most of these are dangerous to our health. Everything that the mother takes into her body is transmitted to the baby and that includes the nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar and other dangerous chemicals that are in cigarettes. Many studies have proven how dangerous these chemicals can be and how they can affect the development of the fetus inside the mother’s womb.
Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is dangerous for the development of the baby but it can also adversely affect the mother’s health as well. A woman who smokes heavily during the first trimester of her pregnancy runs a much higher risk of having an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is when the embryo attaches itself outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes. This type of pregnancy is not viable and it puts the mother’s life in danger.
Effects of Smoking While Pregnant
The fallopian tube could burst causing hemorrhaging and more. The fetus cannot get any of the nourishment that it requires so this type of pregnancy usually requires hospitalization and surgery to remove the non-viable fetus. If the fallopian tube bursts before the fetus has been removed the mother’s life could be in grave danger. Even in the least serious ectopic pregnancies the mothers fertility is threatened. An ectopic pregnancy usually results in the mother being unable to conceive and become pregnant again.
Another potential complication that is much higher in a woman who smokes is placenta complications. Placenta previa is where the placenta is connected too low in the uterus, almost at the cervix. This causes many problems because there is not enough support for the growing fetus. Placenta previa can result in infant death and severe complications to the mother, including death.
Cigarette smoking while pregnant can also result in low infant birth weight. This can cause lasting problems for the baby, especially if there are any delays in development because of it. Reports show that there are significant differences in birth weight between smoking mothers and and mothers who have been around second-hand smoke and non-smoking mothers. Low birth weight can result in cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other problems in the baby, including death.
So here are a few of the risks…
- Increases risk of miscarriage
- Increases risk of complications during birth
- Increases likelihood of having a low-weight baby more vulnerable to health problems
- Increases chances of the baby dying at birth
Smoking During Pregnancy
Cigarette smoking during pregnancy also increases the possibility of birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate. Stillbirth is also much higher in women who smoke during pregnancy. Babies born to women who smoke have a higher incidence of sudden infant death syndrome. The also have a higher rate of asthma, behavioral problems and learning disabilities.
After pregnancy the dangers of smoking are still high-risk for the baby. Studies show that nicotine can be passed on to the baby through the breast milk if a mom chooses to breastfeed. Urine testing has proven that these babies have nicotine in their system. Nicotine is one of the most addictive of the chemicals in cigarettes. If the mother chooses not to breastfeed but still continues to smoke the baby has all the risks of second-hand smoke but even worse because of their small, still developing and growing bodies.
New research has even shown that third-hand smoke can be dangerous to babies. Third-hand smoke is the toxic gases and chemicals that are left behind on your skin and clothes when you smoke. So even if the mom goes outside away from her baby to smoke it can still be dangerous to the babies health. Third-hand smoke can still cause serious health concerns like asthma and other breathing problems, learning disorders and cancer.
Smoking is bad for you and bad for your baby! The ideal time to quit smoking is before you get pregnant but the sooner you quit smoking during your pregnancy, the healthier you and your baby will be. But quitting smoking completely and never starting again is the best way to ensure a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby and a healthy you for the long term.