A woman who smokes harms her own health as well as health of her unborn child. Smoking causes nicotine, carbon monoxide and other chemicals to be passed to the baby. When a woman inhales nicotine it is transmitted to the placenta. The placenta passes nutrients, oxygen and eliminates waste---but also passes chemicals found in cigarettes. Cigarettes contain over 2,500 different chemicals. According to the March of Dimes, 10 percent of woman smoke during pregnancy.
Low Birth Weight
Smoking causes the baby to have a low birth weight. A full-term infant under 5 lbs. 4 oz. is considered to have a low birth weight . According to The March of Dimes, 11.9 percent of low birth babies were born to smokers compared to 7.2 percent of nonsmokers. Babies born with a low birth weight may have been born prematurely or have poor fetal growth. A woman who stops smoking before the end of her second trimester lowers her risks of a low birth weight; the rate is comparable to a woman who never smoked. Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke have 20 percent higher odds giving birth to a low weight infant reports The Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Placenta Previa
Smoking doubles the risk of placental issues during pregnancy. Placenta previa occurs when the placenta covers the lower portion of the uterine wall, partially or wholly covering the cervix. The complication is often discovered prior to labor; yet, remaining undetected will cause massive vaginal bleeding. The bleeding can be massive enough to cause maternal shock or even death. A woman may require a C-section if bleeding is severe.
Placental Abruption
Placental abruption occurs when the placenta completely detaches from the uterine wall. The mother will be observed for signs of shock and the unborn baby for signs of fetal distress. A C-section may be preformed, though vaginal delivery is an option if symptoms are mild. Fetal distress occurs in half of placental abruptions---half of surviving infants have complications ranging from mild to severe.
Spontanous Abortion
Women who smoke during pregnancy increase their risk from spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage. Miscarriages are more likely to occur during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor and decreases blood flow to the uterus. According to a 1995 study, between 19,000 and 141,000 miscarriages are attributed to nicotine use.
