Smoking and Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Pregnancy

Smoking During Pregnancy

Smoking and Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

By Ms. DoanPhuong Nguyen
Reviewed by James W. Brann, MD

You should not smoke or become exposed to secondhand smoke while you are pregnant. If a pregnant woman smokes, her baby is exposed to harmful chemicals like tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. Nicotine can cause your blood vessels to constrict, meaning your baby receives fewer nutrients and less oxygen. Carbon monoxide also lowers the amount of oxygen your baby gets.

Smoking has been linked with an increased risk for ectopic pregnancies (the baby begins to develop outside the uterus), vaginal bleeding, problems with the way the placenta attaches to the uterus, stillbirths, and low weight babies.
Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke can also increase your risk for:

Fact:
Smoking can hurt the baby after birth too. Breathing in secondhand smoke can increase your newborn's risk for developing asthma and dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ( SIDS ).

Infertility – Smoking delays conception, and it increases a woman's risk of being infertile by 30 percent.

Placental Abruption – A potentially serious and dangerous pregnancy complication that can occur in the third trimester, when your placenta separates from the uterine lining (the cells that line your womb). It can cause vaginal bleeding, uterine tenderness, rapid contractions, and fetal heart rate abnormalities.

Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) – Your water breaks before your due date or the onset of real labor.

Placenta Previa –

Fact:
If you're a heavy smoker, try chewing nicotine gum or wearing the nicotine patch. These nicotine replacements may help curb your cravings, but they do come with some risks. You should only use them after other treatments have failed.

When your placenta grows in the lowest part of your womb and covers either partially or completely the opening of your uterus.

The less you smoke during pregnancy, the less harm it will do to your baby. If you cannot stop this addictive habit, cutting down on your daily cigarette intake is better than not stopping at all.

Quitting before you get pregnant is the best option for you and your baby. If you can kick the habit while you are pregnant, it is possible that you'll be able to kick it permanently. You and your family will be healthier as a result.

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