Most pregnant mothers likely understand that smoking during pregnancy puts their unborn child at risk. However, the full extent of the dangers may not be widely known. If more smoking mothers were fully educated and aware of these risks, they might be more motivated to quit.
There are numerous possible risks and negative consequences for a baby whose mother smoked during pregnancy. The fetus can even suffer harmful effects from secondhand smoke.
Quitting smoking becomes more about protecting your unborn child than just safeguarding yourself. Safe methods and support systems are available to help you quit if you lack support at home.
Below is information on the devastating effects smoking during pregnancy can have on your child.
How Does Smoking While Pregnant Affect the Baby?
Smoking introduces harmful chemicals into your bloodstream. These chemicals reach your baby through the placenta.
- Oxygen Reduction: Carbon monoxide from smoke lowers the oxygen your baby receives. Less oxygen can stunt growth and lower birth weight.
- Nicotine Effects: Nicotine narrows blood vessels, reducing blood flow to your baby. This limits the nutrients and oxygen they need. It also increases the baby’s heart rate, causing stress.
- Toxic Exposure: Cigarette smoke contains dangerous chemicals like tar, lead, and arsenic. These toxins can harm your baby’s developing organs, especially the brain and lungs.
- Brain Development: Smoking can disrupt normal brain growth. Chemicals in cigarettes may lead to learning and behavior problems later in life.
Smoking doesn’t just harm you—it directly damages your baby. According to Better Health, “The baby’s movements are weaker in the womb for at least an hour after smoking each cigarette.”
Risk of Death to Fetuses and Infants
Smoking during pregnancy can lead to your child’s death — either in the womb or after birth.
Every year, a certain percentage of pregnancies are ectopic. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the embryo implants itself in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies carry serious complications, posing significant risks not only to the fetus but also to the mother’s health and well-being.
Ectopic pregnancies are more common in women who smoke. Additionally, smoking during pregnancy can negatively impact the placenta, increasing the risk of complications. There are also significant dangers associated with secondhand smoke, including an increased chance of the baby dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the unexplained death of a child under the age of one. This is an extremely serious risk to take with your child as a pregnant mother.
The consequences of smoking while pregnant are severe, and there is no avoiding that reality. The unborn fetus doesn’t have a chance to make a decision about life or death when you smoke during pregnancy—you are making that decision for them.
If Your Child Survives
If you plan to nurse after the baby is born, avoid smoking then too, as nicotine affects breast milk.
The number of children with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is increasing. This condition is diagnosed in millions of children every year, and the problem continues to grow. While many factors contribute to ADHD, researchers know that pregnant women who smoke at least half a pack a day increase the likelihood of hyperactivity in their child, raising the risk of an ADHD diagnosis.
We hope that you will learn the facts about the effects of smoking during pregnancy and make the choice to quit. Ask your doctor for help.