Smoking during Pregnancy

Whoever said that pregnancy could be the healthiest stage in your life probably was not wrong. Many women once they learn they are pregnant quit all kinds of bad habits and smoking is one of the biggest. Because smoking during pregnancy is harmful for you and the developing baby, you must consider quitting even before you get pregnant, and you will be reducing your risk of health problems such as cancer, heart or lung disease, and other problems.

Like many smokers, you probably already know that giving up tobacco is not an easy task, but your baby deserves this little (or huge) sacrifice on your part. Statistics about smoking during pregnancy in the United States show that if all pregnant women quit smoking there would be a 5% reduction in newborn deaths and 11% reduction in stillbirths.

The U.S. Public Health Service says that nearly 11% percent of women in America smoke during pregnancy. When women smoke, the nicotine and carbon monoxide inhaled get into the placenta acting as a poison in the developing baby, preventing the proper supply of nutrients and oxygen that the baby needs to keep growing.

Considering that each cigarette smoked contains over 2,500 chemicals, the "poison-effect" multiplies itself indefinitely causing permanent harm to your baby, including early lung problems, physical growth problems and learning disabilities that can be prevented if you quit smoking during pregnancy and, if possible, after the baby is born.

Mothers who continue smoking after giving birth may cause the baby to cough, have middle-ear infections, bronchitis and even pneumonia. Women who want to get pregnant may experience conceiving problems due to effect of cigarettes, but their fertility returns to normal after stop smoking.

Smoking during pregnancy is unhealthy for both the mother and the baby and even for your partner and household environment.