Gynecologists in HSR Layout | Dr. Sunita Pawar
If your health is not an objective to think about, then the health of the baby should be. Smoking during pregnancy affects you, as well as the health of the baby, before and after birth. The nicotine, carbon monoxide, and several poisons inhaled from the cigarette are transported by your bloodstream that is transferred to your baby.
Some Facts
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy, premature labor, miscarriage, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Usually, women under thirty-five tend to smoke more than women above it. Many eager to attain pregnancy get motivated to quit smoking, while many reduce or quit smoking once they find out about their pregnancy. Unfortunately, many women restart their habit once they are born, and the baby gets older.
Chemicals and their effect on babies
Nicotine is a harmful chemical that reaches the placenta raising fetal blood pressure and affecting the baby’s breathing process. Carbon monoxide pairs with the baby’s red blood cells which significantly reduces the oxygen level carried to the baby. Many other harmful chemicals present in tobacco called carcinogens also affect the placenta adversely.
Women who practice during pregnancy are third at risk of stillborn and miscarriage. They are three times more likely to have babies that die from SIDS. There is a one-third chance of a premature baby being born and twice the chance for a baby to be retarded, or with low birth weight.
Going by the statistics, smoking while pregnant results in 11% of ectopic pregnancies, and 9% of miscarriages. The likelihood of miscarriage increases with the increasing number of cigarette smoking.
Quitting smoking during pregnancy
Women who remarkably quit smoking before pregnancy minimize the risk of infertility and delay in getting pregnant. On the other hand, women who quit smoking during pregnancy reduce the risk of delivery before the due date, premature water break, low birth weight, stillbirth, and death anytime soon after birth. On a positive note, quitting smoking any time during or before pregnancy is highly worthwhile for both the mother and baby’s health.
On the contrary, babies exposed to tobacco smoking can die because of SIDS, an immediate requirement for hospital admission, and experience serious, chest-related illnesses like croup, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Similarly, children exposed to tobacco smoking can suffer from asthma, meningococcal disease, or middle ear infection.
In the long run, adults exposed to cigarette smoke are likely to develop lung cancer and heart disease. The processing of these deadly diseases starts in early childhood. Hence, try quitting smoking and do not give up. Plan well in advance to react when you yearn to grab that next noxious cigarette.