Smoking during pregnancy may cause long-lasting effects on both you and your baby. It is extremely important to stop smoking as soon as you can if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is never too late to stop smoking. Even stopping a few weeks before delivery may have a positive impact on your baby.
Effects of Smoking
When you smoke, the chemicals found in cigarettes stop oxygen and nutrients from reaching your unborn baby. This causes your baby's heart to work harder, decreases his growth rate and interferes with the development of his brain. You baby will have an increased risk of stillbirth--a baby who is born after the 24th week of pregnancy and does not show any signs of life. Your baby is more likely to be born early, which may result in feeding, breathing and health problems. Your baby is also more likely to be underweight, have problems keeping warm and will have trouble dealing with any birth complications. According to KidsHealth, babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy have a hard time coping when their oxygen levels drop, their heart rates rise and they have long pauses in breathing. This puts your baby at a greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Long-Term Effects of Smoking
As your baby gets older, she will have an increased risk of infection and may have asthma. Asthma is the narrowing of your child's airways that makes it difficult to breathe. There is no cure for asthma, only medication to help ease the symptoms. As an adult, your baby is more likely to have coronary heat disease and type 2 diabetes.
Effects of Smoking on You During Pregnancy
Smoking during pregnancy not only harms your baby but also puts you at more risk of having complications. Moms who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have morning sickness and may have an ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilized egg implants itself outside of the womb. Smoking during pregnancy puts you at risk of placental abruption, which is when the placenta detaches before your baby is born. Risk of miscarriage is increased.
Prevention
It is never too late to stop smoking. Even if you stop smoking in the last few weeks of your pregnancy, your child may benefit. As soon as you stop smoking, both you and your baby will benefit immediately. The carbon monoxide and other chemicals leave your body very quickly, giving your baby more oxygen that he needs to develop.
Considerations
It is important to let your doctor know if you are smoking during pregnancy. This will enable your doctor to make the necessary adjustments during your pregnancy and have the hospital ready for any complications you or your baby may have during birth.
