Pregnancy how Smoking Affects the Unborn Baby
The sight of a woman smoking may make you cringe, and it is for good reason. Smoking has an effect on both a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. It can have lifelong – and tragic – consequences.
When you smoke it is not just you who are subject to unhealthy substances like nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar. Your unborn baby may not get as much oxygen, a vital component of healthy growth. His or her lungs may also sustain damage from the smoke.
Smoking has been linked to a number of dangerous conditions during pregnancy. One of these is an ectopic pregnancy, in which the embryo implants in the incorrect spot. Such a pregnancy cannot be sustained and often involves emergency surgery for the mother. Expectant mothers who smoke may also experience more vaginal bleeding. They are also more likely to have a placental abruption. In this case, the placenta comes apart from the uterine wall. This can cause life-threatening hemorrhaging in the mother, and the baby can lose its life as well.
Placenta previa, where the placenta is too low and is over the uterus’ opening, is also more likely to happen. A woman may get more bleeding with this, and it can necessitate the need for a c-section, which has its own substantial increase in risks and complications. Stillbirths are also more likely.
When a woman smokes, she increases her child’s chances of being born prematurely by 30%. One reason is because she is more likely to have her membranes rupture (water break) early. This is substantial and can increase the odds of a whole host of complications. For instance, these babies are more likely to be born with a lower birth weight. On average, they weigh 200 grams less than babies born to non-smokers. A lower birth weight has been linked to a greater risk of illness and even death.
Babies born to smokers may face a number of health issues, both from the smoking itself and from the early arrival. For instance, they may be more like to have a cleft lip or palate. They are also at an increased risk of cerebral palsy and learning disabilities.
Even after your baby is born, the effects of smoking during pregnancy can be seen. The babies will be subjected to a 1.4 to 3.0 times greater chance of SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Your baby may just pass away with no discernable cause.
When you are pregnant, you are no longer the only one who is affected by smoking. Becoming a parent is about taking care of the miracle of life inside of you. To avoid the complications listed above, take the steps to stop smoking.
Sources:
http://www.marchofdimes.com/Pregnancy/alcohol_smoking.html
http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/tobaccousepregnancy/