Harmful Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy – Hazardous to your baby

Smoking during pregnancy is unhealthy for you and your baby. Smoke from cigarettes, pipes, and cigars contains many chemicals that can cause cancer (carcinogens).

Cigarettes also contain a stimulant drug (nicotine). When you smoke, harmful substances that you breathe in enter your bloodstream and can be passed on to your baby. This can affect your baby’s development.

If you are planning to become pregnant or have recently become pregnant, talk with your health care provider about quitting smoking.

How does smoking affect me?

Smoking increases your risk for many long-term (chronic) diseases. These diseases include cancer, lung diseases, and heart disease. Smoking during pregnancy increases your risk of:

• Losing the pregnancy (miscarriage or stillbirth).
• Giving birth too early (premature birth).
• Pregnancy outside of the uterus (tubal pregnancy).
• Having problems with the organ that provides the baby nourishment and oxygen (placenta), including:
  • Attachment of the placenta over the opening of the uterus (placenta previa).
  • Detachment of the placenta before the baby’s birth (placental abruption).
• Having your water break before labor begins (premature rupture of membranes).

How does smoking affect my baby?

Before Birth

Smoking during pregnancy:

• Decreases blood flow and oxygen to your baby.
• Increases your baby’s risk of birth defects, such as heart defects.
• Increases your baby’s heart rate.
• Slows your baby’s growth in the uterus (intrauterine growth retardation).

After Birth

Babies born to women who smoked during pregnancy may:

• Have symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
• Need to stay in the hospital for special care.
• May be too small at birth.
• Have a high risk of:
  • Serious health problems or lifelong disabilities.
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
  • Becoming obese.
  • Developing behavior or learning problems.

What can happen if changes are not made?

When babies are born with a birth defect or illness, they often need to stay in the hospital longer before going home. Hospital stays may also be longer if you had any complications during labor or delivery. Longer hospital stays and more treatments result in higher costs for health care.

Many health issues among babies born to mothers who smoke can have a lifelong impact. This may include the long-term need for certain medicines, therapies, or other treatments.

What are the benefits of not smoking during pregnancy?

You have a much better chance of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby if you do not smoke while you are pregnant. Not smoking also means that you will have a better chance of living a long and healthy life, and your baby will have a better chance of growing into a healthy child and adult.

What actions can be taken?

Quitting smoking can be difficult. Ask your health care provider for help to stop smoking. You may also consider:

• Counseling to help you quit smoking (smoking cessation counseling).
• Psychotherapy.
• Acupuncture.
• Hypnosis.
• Telephone QUIT hotlines.

If these methods do not help you, talk with your health care provider about other options. Do not take smoking cessation medicines or nicotine supplements unless your health care provider tells you to.

Seek Additional Information

Learn more about smoking during pregnancy and quitting smoking from:

• March of Dimes: www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/smoking-during-pregnancy.aspx
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: women.smokefree.gov
• American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org
• American Heart Association: www.heart.org
• National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov

For help to quit smoking:

• National smoking cessation telephone hotline: 1-800-QUIT NOW (784-8669)

Contact a health care provider if:

• You are struggling to quit smoking.
• You are a smoker and you become pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• You start smoking again after giving birth.

Summary

• Tobacco smoke contains harmful substances that can affect a baby’s health and development.
• Smoking increases the risk for serious problems, such as miscarriage, birth defects, or premature birth.
• If you need help to quit smoking, ask your health care provider.