Pregnancy Information Blog

Anyone who smokes knows that it is unhealthy, but smoking during pregnancy also places your baby at great risk for many health problems. There are a number of problems including but not limited to adverse risks during and after pregnancy. If you smoke and learn that you are pregnant, the ideal time to quit is immediately. However, we realize that not all mothers will quit immediately which is unfortunate. It’s important for both you and your baby to quit the benefits are worth it. You will have an easier time of it if you get the right amount of support when quitting. the risks and dangers of smoking during pregnancy is the topic of this article.

Plus there are so many positive benefits for you as well, such as, you will feel better and have a lot more energy. You have to be committed and just do it. This article will list some of the hidden dangers of smoking while pregnant.

One of the most common issues with babies born to mothers who smoke is low birth weight which can cause complications. It is a proven fact that more than 20 percent of all babies born nationally are born with low birth weight conditions. Preterm labor is also common in mothers who smoke during pregnancy. Approximately 14% of preterm labors can be attributed to smoking during pregnancy. One statistic is particularly sad in that even SIDS can be related to smoking during pregnancy. The truth of this statistic has been proven by the American Lung Association.

So while you are inhaling the hundreds of chemicals added to tobacco, including carbon monoxide and nicotine, your baby is absorbing them. The nourishment that your baby gets via placenta including oxygen, and whatever else is in your system from smoking gets transferred to your baby. Formaldehyde is just one of the hundreds of chemicals that are put into cigarettes. The lung functions of a child whose mother smoked while pregnant can be seriously compromised. Lung related issues such as asthma and a greater tendency for pneumonia is more likely in children whose mothers smoke while pregnant. These children are also at a greater risk for bronchitis and other chronic respiratory symptoms. Keep in mind that these problems also involve your child’s immune system. These creates a greater susceptibility to infections.

The immediate, physical consequences of smoking while pregnant is naturally the focus. Evidence is starting to show a correlation between smoking during pregnancy and behavioral problems in the child, however. For example, there is a range of problems including learning disabilities and general behavioral issues.

We don’t completely understand the highly negative effects on a baby if the mother smokes. The issues discussed have mainly focused on the unborn baby but these problems don’t disappear after birth. Indeed, it seems the consequences are far-reaching into the life of the child and even into adulthood. So you see, smoking during pregnancy has lifelong consequences on the child and many of which can be dire. For the sake of both mother and child, it is vital to quit smoking during pregnancy.