Introduction
Smoking during pregnancy is a very harmful practice that can cause serious complications for the health of the mother and the fetus.
Smoking during pregnancy has a lot of other complications and in this article, let’s discuss everything one needs to know about smoking during pregnancy.
How does smoking during pregnancy affect the mother and the fetus?
1. Preterm labor:
A study has proven that most babies whose mothers have been smoking during pregnancy are born way before the due date. Preterm labor has a lot of other risks involved, like:
- Visual and hearing issues
- Developmental issues
- Behaviour issues
- Low birth weight in babies
2. SIDS:
Babies who have smoking moms and babies who are exposed to secondhand smoke have higher risks of getting affected by SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) than babies who aren’t exposed to smoke of any kind.
3. Lung issues:
Babies exposed to smoke while still in the womb have weaker lungs than other babies, as they are exposed to a lot of toxic chemicals.
4. Birth Defects:
One of the major disadvantages of smoking during pregnancy is that the baby is born with birth defects like congenital heart defects and issues with the structure of the heart, cleft lip, cleft palate, etc.
5. Ectopic pregnancy:
Nicotine can cause contractions and might prevent the embryo from entering the uterus. In such cases, the embryo must be removed from the tube, as it can seriously threaten the mother’s life.
6. Placenta previa:
Smoking during pregnancy can also cause placenta previa. The placenta grows normally towards the top of the womb in the uterus. This way, the cervix is open for delivery.
But with placenta previa, the placenta stays in the lower part of the uterus, partially covering the cervix.
In this scenario, the placenta often tears, resulting in excessive bleeding and depriving the fetus of oxygen and other vital nutrients.
7. Placenta Abruption:
As we all know, placenta is the main source of food to the baby. When a mother smokes, the placenta which is the connection between the mother and the baby breaks leading to severe bleeding and other complications.
There is no such treatment or interventions available to restore the placenta. This abruption in the placenta is a life threat to both the mother and the baby.
8. Reduction of oxygen:
If a mother smokes during the pregnancy, it drastically reduces the amount of oxygen supply to both the mother and the baby.
9. Still Birth:
If the mother is exposed to smoking during pregnancy, it increases the risk of stillbirth, the death of the baby when born.
10. Excessive bleeding during delivery:
Smoking during pregnancy can drastically increase the risk of excessive bleeding during labor which further becomes a life threat for the mother and the baby.
How to get rid of the smoking habit?
Support groups: Join support groups to help you stay motivated to quit smoking. There are a lot of support groups online to help cope up with this.
Medical help: Seek help from medical professionals to quit smoking if you aren’t able to do it by yourself.
Pick a hobby: Keeping yourself busy and occupied is very important and to help you be occupied, pick up a hoby that you love.
Talk to friends: It is also advisable to talk to friends and family about this to get more help from them.
Cut-off the access: The more you have access to smoking, the more difficult it will be for you to get rid of it. Ensure to not have any tobacco relegated products at home and ask your friends and family to not smoke when with you.
If you are addicted to smoking and are looking for ways to quit, please contact your doctor and seek help from them. There are a lot of treatments available these days to help you quit smoking.
Apart from these issues, smoking can also cause fertility issues in both men and women. It is recommended to quit smoking even before planning for a baby in order to have a healthy and safe pregnancy.
Conclusion
Smoking during pregnancy is definitely a no-no, considering all the negative impacts it has on the fetus as well as the mother.
It is better to quit smoking even before planning for the baby, as smoking interferes with your fertility too.
If you have a partner who smokes, make sure to talk to them about the impacts of secondhand smoke, as they are equally dangerous.
Chennai Women’s Clinic is now Jammi Scans
FAQ
1. How many cigarettes are safe during pregnancy?
There is no “safe” amount of smoking while pregnant. You need to completely quit smoking.
2. How do I quit smoking during pregnancy?
Talk to your doctor and seek help from them if you aren’t able to manage it on your own. Doctors can put you on treatments to help you quit smoking.
3. What are the birth defects caused by smoking?
Major birth defects caused by smoking are congenital heart defects, cleft lips, cleft palates, etc.
