Smoking and Pregnancy

The risks involved with smoking during pregnancy:
Although fewer women are smoking during their pregnancy now than ever before, the habit still persists among many women. In addition, even if a pregnant woman does not smoke, she may be exposed to secondhand smoke in the household, workplace, or in social settings.

Smoke can be damaging to a fetus in several ways, and may cause the following:

• low birthweight
• preterm birth
• stillbirths
• increased risk of birth defects

Subsequently, babies born to smokers may also have the following problems:

• poor lung development
• asthma and respiratory infections
• increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• physical growth deficiency
• intellectual development deficiency
• behavioral problems

Studies have shown that maternal smoking is a contributing factor in 14 percent of all premature deliveries in the U.S.

The mother, too, may experience problems during her pregnancy as a result of smoking, including, but not limited to, the following:

• placental complications
• preterm labor
• infections in the uterus