Risks for Pregnant Women Smoking Tobacco
There are significant risks for pregnant women who smoke tobacco and their unborn child. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 10% of pregnant women smoke throughout their pregnancy. The United States Public Health Service stated that as many as 5% of infant deaths could be prevented if pregnant women did not smoke. Smoking is very addictive. Only a third of pregnant women that quit smoking during pregnancy remain tobacco-free after delivery.
History
In 1964, the Surgeon General issued a report informing the public that smoking is hazardous to your health. The 1969 report on Health Consequences of Smoking declared that smoking during pregnancy could lead to "spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and neonatal death." Congress passed the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act of 1984, also known as Public Law 98-474, which made it a requirement to place one of four specific health warnings on all cigarette packages and advertisements. One of the warnings specifically mentions that smoking "may complicate pregnancy." In 2004, the Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking declared that pregnant smokers increase their risk of pregnancy complications and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Time Frame
The typical pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks. According to the March of Dimes, women that smoke during their pregnancy are more at risk to have preterm delivery, which is a delivery before 37 weeks. In addition, women that smoke anytime during the month before their pregnancy to the end of the first trimester, are more likely to have a baby born with birth defects, especially congenital heart defects.
Effects
Smoking during pregnancy can bring significant risks to the child and mother. Pregnant women that smoke are at risk for problems with the placenta, which provides nutrition and oxygen for the baby. Babies of mothers that smoke during pregnancy are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) than babies born to nonsmokers.
Smoking during pregnancy causes one in five infants to be born with a low birth weight. Low birth weight is considered to be under 5 ½ pounds. Nicotine and other toxic chemicals from cigarettes are filtered through the bloodstream, which is the baby's only source of oxygen and nutrients. Nicotine and carbon monoxide deprives the baby of oxygen, which slows the growth of the baby.
Considerations
Female smokers should still consider being tobacco free after the birth of their child. Nicotine is found in breast milk and secondhand smoke can be harmful to anyone exposed to it. Children that live in homes with smokers are more at risk for respiratory problems, such as frequent colds, asthma and bronchitis.
Prevention/Solution
Women considering having a baby that smoke should be educated on the risks of smoking during a pregnancy. Female smokers that are already pregnant should be offered information about tobacco cessation classes and other resources available to help them quit. Tobacco cessation medication during a pregnancy should be used with caution and under the direction of your doctor.
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