Pregnancy is happiness and a blessing of a unique kind. But, during this time, you must be really very careful about yourself. After all, you’re nurturing another life inside you. Have food in the right quantum. Stay active. Stop drinking alcohol and quit smoking. While alcohol passes from the mother’s bloodstream to the baby through the umbilical cord causing foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), smoking in pregnancy can be detrimental both to your health and the health of your baby inside you.
Here we are going to particularly focus on smoking during pregnancy.
Why is Smoking Harmful During Pregnancy?
As you proceed with your pregnancy, smoking exposes you to nicotine, carbon monoxide, phenols, and flavorants. That can put you and the baby growing up inside you to many risks and challenges. The risks of cigarette smoking include:
Ectopic Pregnancy
Those of you, who smoke, have an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. The nicotine causes the fallopian tubes to contract and prevents the embryo from passing through. The fertilized eggs attach either outside the uterus or fallopian tube.
Placental Abruption
The placenta during pregnancy is responsible for foetal development. It feeds the foetus with all all-essential nutrients and oxygen (through the umbilical cord). The placenta, on the other hand, also removes the waste material to create a safe environment for the baby inside. Placental abruption is one of the effects of smoking during pregnancy. Placental abruption is a condition in which the placenta gets separated from the uterus before you give birth to your child and this can result in severe bleeding.
Placenta Previa
The placenta, during pregnancy, usually grows in the uterus at the top of the womb. The cervix remains open for delivery. But placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta fixes in the lower part of the uterus – partially or fully covering the cervix. Smoking may just increase the chances.
Preterm Birth
Preterm or premature birth is when you give birth to your baby in the 37th week. Reports from the CDC reveal, smoking during pregnancy may be responsible for preterm birth.
Low Birth Weight
Research has revealed that 8% are born with low birth weight. That means regardless of the gestational age, low birth babies are less than 2 kgs. Experts from the American Cancer Society say that those of you who stop smoking before embracing motherhood can avoid giving birth to low birth-weight babies.
Besides this, smoking during pregnancy can cause birth defects in babies. Some of the studies suggest a connection between maternal smoking and cleft lip. Some more studies show a relationship between tobacco and miscarriage. Due to the presence of carbon monoxide in the tobacco, the oxygen to the baby gets compromised.
However, there is nothing to worry about. The only way to deal with these pregnancy challenges is by saying “no” to smoking.
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