The Bad Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy

When a pregnant women smokes, she risks not only her own health but that of her baby. Smoking  hurts the baby before, during, and after birth, Each puff exposes the fetus to harmful chemicals. Carbon monoxide travels to the fetus,s blood. This lowers the amount of oxygen to both the mother and the fetus. Nicotine crosses the placenta (which connects mother and fetus) and can cause the fetal blood vessels to constrict so that less oxygen and nourishment reach the fetus.

Smoking increases a woman's risk of complications during pregnancy. Pregnant smokers are more apt to have vaginal bleeding during pregnancy. They are also more likely to have a miscarriage, stillbirth, or preterm baby (born before 37 weeks). On the average, a smoker's baby weights 1/2 pound less than a nonsmoker's baby and is about 1/2 inch shorter in body length. Low birth weight raises the baby's chances of being born early and needing special care. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) occurs more than twice as often among babies of smoking mothers.

The sooner you quit, the better it will be for your baby. If you stop smoking during the early months of your pregnancy, your chance of having a low-birth-weight baby will be close to that of a non-smoker. Almost one-fourth of all pregnant women quit smoking while they are pregnant. If you cannot stop smoking, you  can still help your fetus by smoking as little as possible. If you can quit during pregnancy, you can quit for a lifetime, and be a healthier one.