Smoking When Pregnant.

Smoking when pregnant is strictly forbidden because the effects of smoking in pregnancy can be disastrous for the baby.  Smoking  and pregnancy cannot coexist. As explained in effects of smoking, smoking has adverse effects on almost all systems of the body.

The reason for this is that cigarette smoke has more than 4000 chemicals each of which is toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic. Tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide gas are the three most toxic of them.

Smoking and Pregnancy.

Smoking when pregnant causes ill effects on the developing fetus and can produce harmful effects on its development. Smoking and pregnancy should never be together. You not only harm yourself but also take a very high risk of harming your baby which is developing in your womb. And as explained in cause of smoking, addiction of tobacco smoking is very strong, which makes it difficult to stop smoking. The pregnant mother is in a rather difficult situation as she has to handle addiction on one hand and on the other hand is her maternal instinct and care for her baby which is developing in her womb.

Smoking When Pregnant.

The baby is developing in its mother’s womb with the help of nutrition it gets through the blood of the mother. This transfer of nutrition and oxygen from the mother’s blood to the blood of the fetus takes place in the placenta  which is the connecting cord between the mother and the fetus in the uterus.

Smoking during pregnancy results in the toxic contents of cigarette smoke, getting transferred from the mother’s blood to the blood of the fetus. Instead of nutrition, the fetus is being fed with toxins which are going to hamper and retard its development and produce congenital defects in the newborn.

As explained in cigarette smoke, carbon monoxide, which is a toxic gas, takes the place of oxygen and binds itself together with the hemoglobin in the blood and gets carried to all the parts of the body causing enormous harm. This carbon monoxide also crosses the placental barrier and travels through the blood of the fetus. However do note that there is no safe level of smoking in pregnancy and the more cigarettes you smoke when pregnant, the greater are chances of your baby developing these health problems.

The following effects of smoking on pregnancy are seen in the new born.

1. Smoking when pregnant effects on newborns.

Studies indicate that pregnant women who smoked less than 10 cigarettes a day are 21% more likely to give birth to a stillborn while pregnant women who smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day bore a risk of 26% of giving birth to a dead baby or babies who die within 4 weeks of birth. (neonatal death). Incidence of miscarriages are also more. This could be due to placental abruption (detachment of placenta).

2. Smoking when pregnant effects on size of baby.

If the mother has smoked when pregnant, she is very likely to have a premature delivery. The new born is likely to be underweight and smaller in size than normal. The body of such a baby who has been exposed cigarette smoke during the prenatal stage is underdeveloped. A pack a day could reduce the weight of the new born by about half a pound, while two packs could reduce the newborn’s weight by two pounds. Though this does not look very abnormal, do remember that this has happened due to the under development of the fetus in the womb due to smoking, and will have adverse effects during its lifetime.

3. Smoking during pregnancy risks on heart.

A study conducted by the CDC in U.S. in February of 2011 concluded that smoking while pregnant increases the risks of the baby developing congenital heart defects by anywhere between 20% to 70%. The heart rate is also increased. These congenital heart defects include:

• Congenital pulmonary stenosis causing right ventricular outflow tract obstruction  leading to reduced blood flow from the heart to the lungs.
• Atrial septal defects which is a defect in the septum dividing the two upper chambers of the heart.

These congenital heart defects make the new born a potential candidate for heart diseases such as congestive cardiac failure and pulmonary hypertension later in life.

4. Smoking in pregnancy affects the lungs of the newborn.

Having been exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb, the new born may not be able to breathe on its own after delivery. The newborn may have to be put on a respirator for a few days or even a few weeks. This is because the lungs have not developed as they should and because of these underdeveloped lungs, the baby becomes vulnerable to developing asthma. Because smoking paralyses the cilia which line the airways, such babies are very prone to respiratory tract problems.

5. SIDS due to smoking during pregnancy.

Such babies may even die within one year due to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). This is the leading cause of death in infants in the U.S. where the cause of death remains unknown. Risk of SIDS increases 2 to 5 times when the woman resorts to smoking while pregnant.

6. Smoking while pregnant on brain of fetus.

The brain of the newborn of a smoking mother shows life long effects. During development in the womb, the brain of the fetus has been exposed to carbon monoxide and nicotine and is therefore retarded. Though there is normal intelligence, there is difficulty in speech, reading and learning. The child shows behavioral problems and a relatively low IQ. This low IQ in spite of normal intelligence is because such children are unable to translate their intelligence into everyday affairs.

7. Pregnancy and Smoking effects on the newborn.

Babies born to a smoking mother fall ill more frequently during their first year and have to be hospitalized more often.

8. Pregnancy smoking effects on lactation.

Smoking does affect lactation adversely by interfering with the milk producing hormones. Therefore smoking mothers either do not breastfeed their baby or wean early. This increases the baby’s risk to SIDS.

9. Effect of second hand smoke on the fetus.

Passive smoking is inhaling second hand smoke. Second hand smoke is smoke that is exhaled by the smoker. If you are pregnant (and even otherwise) and find a smoker near you, do stay clear. Keep a safe distance so that you do not inhale that smoke. Exposure to second hand smoke during pregnancy increases the chances of you and your new born developing asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, lung cancer, heart disease, allergy.

10. Smoking when pregnant increases risk of malignancy in baby.

There is sufficient evidence to show that smoking during pregnancy increases risk of childhood  leukemia and hepatoblastoma in the offspring.  Hepatoblastoma is a malignant liver tumor.

11. Children of smoking mothers are very likely to become smokers early on in life.

What should you do to stop smoking.

If you are a smoker and find yourself pregnant, there is only thing you can do and that is to stop smoking. Take professional help if necessary. Ideally smoking should be stopped when you plan to have a baby, that is before you conceive. But it is never too late. Do whatever you can to quit.

 

Related posts:

1. Overweight and Pregnant.
2. Effects and Dangers of Secondhand Smoking.
3. Effects of Smoking|Why Smoking is Bad.
4. How To Get Pregnant Fast and Easily – 9 Tips To Follow.
5. When To Have Sex To Get Pregnant.
6. When and How You Can Get Pregnant.
7. Quitting Smoking|Why Stop Smoking.
8. Smoking|Cigarette Smoking|Smoking Facts.