Smoking During Pregnancy and the Effects on the Fetus

If there is doubt in your mind about whether you should smoke while you're pregnant, this article will settle the issue. The answer is simple: don't do it. You've relied on cigarettes for years to get you through the day, and you're worried about making it through the next nine months without reaching for a pack. Well, consider this the perfect opportunity to give up the nicotine. You gain nothing by smoking, and the possibilities of negative impact on your developing child are high. Much scientific evidence to show that smoking during pregnancy has a detrimental effect on the health and development of the fetus. This article will outline some of the main health concerns and illustrate how tobacco causes harm to both the mother and the child.

SIDS: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

The Culprit: Cigarettes

Timing

You need to stop smoking BEFORE you become pregnant. The reason for this is that by the time a woman knows she is pregnant, crucial developmental changes have already happened in the fetus. You may have done damage to your baby before you even knew it was there! Because of this, it is extremely important to stop smoking if you are considering trying to have a child.

If you are already pregnant and haven't stopped smoking yet, then stop now! This may be a good opportunity to do so anyway, since tastes often change during the first trimester. You may find that quitting isn't as hard as you thought it would be! Your child will be undergoing big changes during the first trimester, so it is important that you give your baby a healthy, smoke-free environment during this time.

This remains true later on in the pregnancy. The way your smoking will affect your child depends on what area is being developed during the time you smoke. In the second trimester you run the risk of developing placenta previa (premature labor) and stillbirth. As the neural system continues to develop, you risk damaging the nervous system.

If you smoke during the third trimester the main risk is low birth weight. If you are still smoking this late in the pregnancy you may feel like it's too late to quit, and you think you may as well keep on going. But you can still avoid further damage to the fetus by stopping now! The effects of smoking during pregnancy are cumulative, and every single cigarette that you do not smoke gives your baby a better chance at getting a healthy start to life. Every time you feel the urge to reach for a pack, remember that you are depriving your baby of oxygen by doing this.

One more point to keep in mind is that by smoking while you are pregnant, you get your child started on a path to addiction. What enters your body enters the body of your child, so the chances are much greater that your child will grow up to be a smoker him or herself. When you think about smoking, you might wish that you had never started. By subjecting your fetus to cigarette smoke, you are effectively taking away the option for them to lead a healthy, smoke-free life.