Smoking in pregnancy: what happens to the woman and the baby
Pregnancy and cigarette smoke are two words that should never coexist together.
Most people know that smoking causes cancer, heart disease, and other major health problems.
Smoking while pregnant can cause further problems: the baby could be born too soon, have a birth defect or die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Secondhand smoke can also cause health problems for the woman and the child.
It’s best to quit smoking before you get pregnant . But if the woman is already pregnant, quitting smoking can still help protect herself and her baby from health problems that may arise.
It’s never too late to quit smoking.
If the woman smoked in the past and has already had a healthy pregnancy in the past, there is no guarantee that her next pregnancy will proceed without the problems caused by cigarette smoking.
How does smoking affect fertility?
Smoking, whether one or both partners smoke, decreases the couple’s fertility . Furthermore, if we are children of parents who smoked, we are less likely to conceive than a couple with non-smoking parents.
Women who smoke have more trouble getting pregnant than women who don’t smoke. In men, smoking can damage sperm and contribute to impotence (erectile dysfunction).
How can cigarette smoke harm a woman and her baby?
A baby in the womb gets everything it needs from its mother. Nutrients and oxygen are assimilated through the placenta. Smoking not only exposes the fetus to the toxins found in tobacco smoke but also damages the function of the placenta.
In a smoker, part of the oxygen present in the blood is replaced by carbon monoxide. If a pregnant woman smokes, her blood, and therefore her baby’s blood, contain less oxygen than normal . This can cause an increase in the fetal heart rate as the baby tries to get more oxygen for vital functions than her.
Tobacco smoke particles contain various toxic and harmful substances that can affect the functioning of the placenta . Furthermore, the placenta is not able to block the passage of all these substances which therefore reach the fetus and can have a mutagenic action (they can damage the genetic heritage of the fetus).
Summarizing the effects of smoking in pregnancy
- The baby may be born too small, even in a full-term pregnancy. Smoking can indeed slow down the growth of the baby before birth.
- The baby may be born too soon ( premature birth ). Premature babies often have health problems.
- Smoking can damage your baby’s lungs and developing brain.
- Smoking doubles the risk of bleeding during pregnancy and childbirth. This can endanger both the woman and the baby.
- Smoking increases the risk of placental abruption
- Smoking increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy
- Smoking increases the risk of birth defects, including cleft lip, cleft palate, or both.
- Babies of mothers who smoke during pregnancy and babies exposed to secondhand smoke after birth have a higher risk for SIDS .
- Long-term effects on general health are still a source of debate
How can a premature birth cause problems for the baby?
If a woman smokes during pregnancy, she is more likely to give birth too soon. A baby is defined as premature when it is born 3 weeks or more before the expected due date. Babies born too early cannot take advantage of the significant growth that occurs in the uterus during the last few weeks of pregnancy. The sooner it is born, the greater the chances of serious health problems and even death. Premature babies can have:
- Low birth weight
- Feeding difficulties
- Immediate breathing problems
- Breathing problems that last into childhood
- Cerebral palsy (brain damage causing problems with movement and muscle tone)
- Developmental delays (in speech, thought, or movement)
- Vision and/or hearing problems
- Babies born prematurely may have to stay in the hospital for days, weeks or even months.
Quit smoking in pregnancy
The best time to quit smoking is before you get pregnant, but quitting anytime during your pregnancy can help your baby get a better start in life.
From the moment the woman stops smoking:
- The baby gets more oxygen, even after just 1 day.
- The baby will grow better.
- The baby is less likely to be born too soon.
- He will have more energy and breathe easier.
- You will be less likely to develop heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, lung disease, and other smoking-related illnesses.
Help the woman who wants to quit smoking
Most pregnant women who smoke want to quit, but quitting isn’t easy and many women feel ashamed of their condition.
The right support can help the pregnant woman overcome the difficulty of quitting smoking.
Support can come from the family, the partner who smokes should be the first to quit in order to help the partner. There are also help groups, associations and books that can help out.
The Smoking, Alcohol and Drug Observatory of the Higher Institute of Health has a toll-free number (800.554088) which pregnant women who smoke can contact.
The smokeless child
Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mix of over 7,000 chemicals.
If your child is not exposed to smoke:
- has fewer episodes of coughs and colds
- have a lower risk of bronchitis or pneumonia (lung problems)
- have fewer episodes of ear infections
- he has fewer asthma attacks and wheezing problems
Quitting smoking is one of the most important gifts a woman can give her child.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.