Smoking While Pregnant
OB-GYN Robert Welch, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan says, "Smoking cigarettes is probably the number one cause of adverse outcomes for babies." Cigarettes contain more than 2,500 chemicals like nicotine, cyanide and carbon monoxide. Ingesting these chemicals while pregnant doesn't only affect the smoker; it can have serious consequences for the developing baby as well. Nicotine cuts off oxygen to the blood vessels in your body, including those in the umbilical cord, severely depleting the amount of oxygen the developing baby receives in the womb.
Side Effects for Baby
According to the March of Dimes, if a woman smokes during pregnancy, her baby is twice as likely to be born with a low birth weight, meaning the baby is less than 5½ lbs. at birth. The March of Dimes also reports that smoking increases the likelihood of premature birth, or a birth at less than 37 weeks gestation. Complications that can arise as a result of low birth weight and/or premature birth include learning problems, mental retardation, cerebral palsy and even death, according to the March of Dimes. A study published in the June 2003 edition of Pediatrics finds that babies born to women who smoked during pregnancy can also show withdrawal-type symptoms, much like babies born to mothers who used illegal drugs. These babies are also up to three times more likely to die because of SIDS than babies born to nonsmokers are, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Older children born to women who smoked during pregnancy also show a greater likelihood of colds and lung problems such as asthma, according to the American Lung Association.
Side Effects for Mom
All smokers are at risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer and stroke, but pregnant women also face other risks. Smoking while pregnant puts the woman at risk of placenta problems like placenta previa or placental abruption. Both conditions result in heavy bleeding that endangers the life of both the mother and the baby.
Statistics
The March of Dimes reports that at least one in 10 pregnant women in the United States smoke. In fact, the U.S. Public Health Service estimates that if all pregnant women would stop smoking, there would be an 11 percent reduction in the number of stillbirths and a 5 percent reduction in newborn deaths.
When to Quit
The risks associated with smoking during pregnancy depend on the amount the woman smokes. The more she smokes, the greater the risk factors. However, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that if a pregnant woman gives up cigarettes before the end of her second trimester (28 weeks gestation), the risks of having a low birth weight baby is the same as a woman who never smoked during pregnancy. If a woman smokes anytime from the month before pregnancy through the end of the first trimester (13 weeks gestation), there is a greater risk of having a baby with congenital heart defects than a woman who never smoked, according to an April 2008 article in Pediatrics. Experts agree the best time to quit smoking is before conception. However, if that's not an option, the sooner you can quit, the better it is for you and for your baby.
Quit
Pregnant women can take advantage of the same resources to quit smoking as anyone else. Natural programs, like Smokefree.gov and 1-800-QUIT-NOW, can help you online. Or you can talk to your doctor to find out about programs in your community.
