It is not healthy for any person to smoke. If you are pregnant and you smoke during your pregnancy, you may harm your baby as well as yourself.
Your lungs absorb the chemicals in cigarette smoke. Some of these chemicals cause the vessels supplying blood to the uterus to become narrower. This means the baby gets less oxygen and food from the blood. As a result, the baby has a greater risk of low birth weight. The baby also has a greater chance of being born too early. Babies who are both underweight and born early have more problems during and after delivery. Recent research also shows that a powerful cancer-causing chemical called NNK is transmitted to the baby when the mother smokes.
If you smoke during pregnancy your baby is at greater risk of:
Smoking during pregnancy may be a cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, or crib death). Also, smoking by the mother during and after pregnancy has been linked to asthma in children. And some studies have shown that these children may have learning and behavioral problems. Also, if you smoke, you are more likely to have a tubal pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the uterus) or miscarriage (loss of the baby).
The smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes is unhealthy for a baby after birth. Infants and children who are exposed to smoke (passive smoking) are more likely to have more colds, lung problems, and ear infections.
If you are planning to become pregnant, you should quit smoking before you try to get pregnant. If you are already pregnant, you should quit smoking as soon as possible. If you are not able to quit completely, try to cut down to fewer than 5 cigarettes a day. Cutting down or stopping smoking during pregnancy reduces the risks. If you stop smoking early in pregnancy, the risks for your baby are about the same as for women who are nonsmokers. If you cannot stop smoking on your own, seek help and counseling to stop smoking. Do not use nicotine replacement products such as nicotine patches or nicotine gum while you are pregnant unless they have been approved by your health care provider.
And remember that family members and others should not smoke around you or around children. Even smoke from other people's cigarettes can be harmful.
Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
HIA File WOM5282F.HTM Release 9.0/2006
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