Smoking and alcohol are contraindicated during pregnancy, but unfortunately, many women continue to smoke and drink alcoholic beverages throughout their pregnancy. Smoking and alcohol are dangerous in and of itself as they can lead to heart disease and liver disease, respectively. During pregnancy, unborn children face the risk of being underweight and having deformed limbs due to drinking and smoking. Drinking and smoking have other detrimental effects on the fetus as well.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Alcohol can enter the placenta and wreak havoc on a developing fetus. Manifestations of fetal alcohol syndrome include heart defects, joint limb or finger deformities and hearing or visual problems, according to the Mayo Clinic. Alcohol usage can also cause the baby to have small eyes, a thin upper lip and a nose that turns upwards. Trouble sleeping, developmental delays, hyperactivity, anxiety and a small brain and head are additional symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome. The Mayo Clinic says that 40,000 infants are born with alcohol-related problems annually.
Surgery can correct heart problems, and counseling can be used to help cope with the child's behavioral problems, but unfortunately, many of the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome are permanent.
Placenta Previa and Placental Abruption
The placenta is an organ that develops to provide an unborn baby with nutrients, says MedlinePlus. The March of Dimes says that smoking cigarettes increases a woman's risk for placenta previa and placental abruption two-fold. This can result in a stillbirth.
MedlinePlus says that there are three types of placenta previa: marginal, partial and complete placenta previa. Marginal placenta previa occurs when the placenta is close to the cervix but its opening isn't obstructed. Partial placenta previa occurs when the placenta covers part of the cervix. Complete placenta previa occurs when the placent covers the entire cervix. Specific manifestations of placenta previa include painless vaginal bleeding that occurs without warning and typically during the second or early part of the third trimester. Sometimes the bleeding can be severe, and uterine cramping can occur.
Blood transfusion may be necessary if excess amounts of blood are lost. However, physicians typically order placenta previa sufferers to complete bed rest. An emergency cesarean section may be necessary, especially during complete placenta previa.
Placental abruption refers to a potentially life-threatening condition in which the placenta actually separates from the uterine wall. Back pain, vaginal bleeding, uterine tenderness and fast uterine contractions are the manifestations of placental abruption, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hospitalization and a cesarean section may be necessary as this is a medical emergency.
Other Effects
The March of Dimes says that mothers who smoke during pregnancy have an elevated risk of having a child with low birth weight and delayed growth. Additionally, a baby exposed to smoke during pregnancy has an increased chance of developing sudden infant death syndrome. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) typically occurs in children under the age of one. MedlinePlus says that infants who sleep on their stomachs and babies who sleep with soft cribbing are just some of those at risks for SIDS. Unfortunately, no harbinger symptoms occur.
