5 Ways Smoking During Pregnancy Harms the Fetus

Substance abuse, including smoking, and pregnancy, don't mix! Women who smoke when pregnant put both their health and the unborn babies at risk.

Cigarettes contain harmful chemicals, including carbon monoxide, nicotine, and tar. Hence, smoking while pregnant could significantly increase the risk of pregnancy complications that could be fatal for both the mother and her baby.

Women who smoke and want to get pregnant should consider quitting first. In fact, women who smoke could experience difficulties in getting pregnant in the first place.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, both women and men smokers are more likely to have fertility issues than nonsmokers. Secondhand smoke is also equally dangerous to the fetus. We look at ways smoking during pregnancy could harm your fetus:

1. Death from Early Miscarriage and Stillbirth

Losing a pregnancy is tragic at any stage. In most cases, miscarriages happen in the first trimester. On rare occasions, miscarriages could also occur after 20 weeks of gestation, which is referred to as stillbirth.

According to the US CDC, smoking during pregnancy increases the likelihood of early miscarriage and stillbirth due to the toxic chemicals in cigarettes.

Smoking can also lead to other complications like slow fetal development and problems with the placenta, both of which could cause the death of the fetus by instigating a miscarriage or stillbirth.

2. Deprivation of Vital Nutrients and Oxygen

Smoking during pregnancy tends to increase several placental complications. The placenta is what provides the fetus with nutrients and oxygen.

A complication like a placental abruption (where the placenta separates from the womb before childbirth) could cause severe bleeding and threaten the fetus's life and the mother's as well.

Even though there is no treatment or surgery to reattach the placenta, immediate medical attention could help increase the possibility of a healthy birth despite the placenta abruption.

Smoking also increases the woman’s risk of placenta previa (which is when the placenta is in the lower part of the uterus, fully or partially covering your cervix). It increases the risk of the placenta tearing, depriving the fetus of oxygen and vital nutrients as well as excessive bleeding.

Nicotine in the bloodstream could also constrict blood vessels in the uterus and umbilical cord, which also reduces the fetus' oxygen. Nicotine could also limit blood supply to the fetal cardiovascular system.

3. Low Birth Weight

Babies born to smoking mothers are likely to be born with low birth weight. This means that the woman gives birth to a small baby.

When a baby is born small, they are at an increased risk of health problems and specific disabilities. It could further result in:

Cerebral palsy
Developmental delay
Vision or hearing ailments

In extreme cases, small babies could eventually die. To reduce infant death as a result of low birth weight, seek advances in medical care as soon as the baby is born.

4. Premature Fetus

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of preterm birth, which results in the delivery of a premature fetus. A premature fetus could have numerous health problems, including:

Mental disability
Hearing and visual impairments
Behavioral and learning problems
Complications that could cause the death of the fetus

5. Birth Defects and Increased SIDS Risk

Smoking during pregnancy also increases the risk of the fetus being born with certain congenital disabilities. Common congenital disabilities include problems with the heart's structure and congenital heart defects.

Other congenital disabilities that could occur as a result of smoking while pregnant include cleft palate and cleft lip. This is when the mouth or/and lip don't form correctly during pregnancy.

Mothers who smoke while pregnant also put the fetus at an increased risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Babies who are taken to homes tainted with secondhand smoke face the same risk.

Visit childmode.com to learn more about Smoking and Pregnancy.

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