How Smoking Affects Pregnant Women?

It is crucial for pregnant women to stay away from certain activities, and smoking is one of them. Undoubtedly smoking is a bad option for pregnant women. Women who smoke during pregnancy are subjected to enhanced risks of giving birth to a stillborn baby, suffering a miscarriage, or delivering a baby with unsatisfactory birth weight. Smoking by pregnant women doubles the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS that causes sudden death of their healthy children.

Cigarette smoking can augment the threat of a diverse range of complications related to pregnancy such as premature rupture of membranes, vaginal bleeding and premature placental detachment. Smoking also hinders the absorption of vitamins B and C and folic acid in pregnant mothers. Deficiency in folic acid can lead to flaws in the neural tube. Numerous chemicals present in cigarette smoke, for example carbon monoxide and nicotine, are toxic in nature that progress through a pregnant woman’s bloodstream and adversely affect the developing baby.

When a pregnant woman smokes, it diminishes the supply of oxygen to the baby. The nicotine can result in the increased heart rate of the baby. Nicotine diminishes the baby’s source of nutrients due to the augmented blood pressure and blood vessel constriction

For some pregnant women quitting in the first trimester is easy, as during this period they develop an abrupt aversion to cigarettes. Women who give up smoking at this stage greatly reduce the probability of miscarriage. They may also decrease the possibility of the baby’s improper development. It is advisable for women to give up smoking prior to becoming pregnant. Quitting the habit in the early stages can ensure the birth of a healthy baby.

Pregnant women who give up smoking during the second trimester of pregnancy diminish the possibilities of developing complications like placenta previa going into pre-term labor and even stillbirth. If a pregnant woman is unsuccessful in her attempt to quit smoking in the first trimester, she should try to reduce the number of cigarettes she smokes. This can immensely help her baby.

Even if a pregnant woman stops smoking in the third trimester, it can enhance the chances of giving birth to a healthy, full-term, normal birth-weight baby. Decrease in birth-weight of babies is closely connected to the number of cigarettes the mother smokes. There is a direct link between smoking and damaged fetal growth. Pregnant women who give up smoking at this juncture can thwart the prospect of losing one’s baby to SIDS. The sooner a pregnant woman gives up smoking, better the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby.

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