Smoking during pregnancy damages both mother and baby. After examining all the ramifications, it becomes clear that pregnant women should not smoke.
Cigarette smoking is a health hazard no matter what a person’s age or gender. But smoking during pregnancy not only poses health risks to the mother, but also presents serious problems for her unborn baby as well. In fact, there are so many factors to consider, it is unlikely that a baby could be unaffected by its mothers smoking.
While there are thousands of different toxins in cigarette smoke, the three deadly are nicotine, cyanide, and carbon monoxide. Once these chemicals are ingested and reach the bloodstream, they begin to restrict the blood vessels that carry oxygen to the baby through the umbilical cord. The baby’s oxygen supply is reduced, and this can cause low birth weight, premature birth and even stillbirth. Statistically, smoking during pregnancy doubles the chance that the baby will be born dead.
The risk of low birth weight – under 5-1/2 pounds – is also doubled when the mother smokes. Additionally, the more the mother smokes, the lower the baby’s birth weight will be. If a baby is too small its lungs have not fully developed and, in many cases, they must be kept in intensive care and receive assistance in breathing. Babies who are born prematurely or have a low birth weight also face the risk of cerebral palsy and mental retardation.
Studies indicate that the risk of sudden infant death syndrome may also double if the mother smoked during pregnancy. In fact, even the father’s smoking may be causal for SIDS. There is also some evidence that a baby exposed to smoking while in the womb may be more prone to contracting asthma later in life.
Another side effect is the way nicotine affects the baby’s brain. Behavioral studies have found that some learning disorders may be attributed to a mother’s smoking. In fact, one study examined twenty children with Attention Deficit Disorder and researchers concluded that the levels of carbon dioxide in their blood while in the womb would have been twice the level of their mothers’ and directly contributed to their later problems. Certainly, the increase in the number of women of childbearing age who smoke and the large number of children with hyperactivity disorders is no coincidence.
Other problems include lower IQs and behavioral issues. Babies who were exposed to nicotine in the womb tend to be more restless than those who were not. This may be a symptom of withdrawal from the nicotine to which they became addicted. Additionally, children born to women who smoked during pregnancy are more apt to smoke themselves since they were exposed to the drug nicotine before birth.
Of course, smoking during pregnancy not only affects the baby, it is dangerous for the mother as well. Besides increasing heart rate and blood pressure, smoking also has an effect on the nervous system. It can also cause urinary tract infections and increases the risks of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Another problem that seems to be caused by smoking is problems with the placenta including placental abruption and placental previa. Both of these conditions can cause heavy bleeding during delivery and may also contribute an increase of the possibility of stillbirth.
Despite all of these hazards, it is estimated that close to 20 percent of women who are pregnant smoke ten cigarettes a day or more. Of course, the less a woman smokes; the better, but even one cigarette a day will affect the baby. Any woman who is planning on getting pregnant should quit smoking before she even starts trying to conceive. It is now known that smoking decreases the chance that a woman will get pregnant in the first place. But, even if a woman finds out she is pregnant and is still smoking, quitting immediately will help. Smoking during the first trimester probably won’t have a significant effect on the fetus. However, once the pregnancy moves into the second trimester and the baby is beginning to grow, smoking will begin to affect growth and weight gain.
Finally, once the baby is born, second-hand smoke can harm the baby just as it harms an adult. Early exposure to cigarette smoke may retard growth rate and contribute to breathing problems. Considering all the risks, it seems incredibly selfish and neglectful for a woman to smoke when she is pregnant. Of course, it is very hard to quit, but, when one looks at the extraordinary damage that cigarette smoke can cause an unborn baby, it would certainly seem to be worth the effort. Quitting smoking is difficult, but, certainly, there is assistance available, especially for a woman who is pregnant.
By Donna Reynolds
