36 Drugs and Pregnancy: Smoking & Pregnancy
Description
This article is from the General Pregnancy FAQ, by swnymph@FensEnde.com (Sabrina Cuddy) with numerous contributions by others.
36 Drugs and Pregnancy: Smoking & Pregnancy
While it may not generally be considered a drug, cigarette smoke
contains several chemicals, as well as the drug nicotine. Smoking has
been described as the most common "known harmful exposure" in
pregnancy, and it imposes serious risks to both mother and baby. Fetal
and infant mortality rates are increased by over 50 percent in
first-time mothers who smoke more than one pack per day during
pregnancy. Cigarette smoking can slow fetal growth and increase the
risk of low birth weight, stillbirth and a host of maternal
complications.
Smoking reduces a fetus's oxygen supply by as much as 50 percent,
because the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke displaces oxygen in the
mother's bloodstream. Babies born to smoking mothers also have highest
rates of SIDS and pneumonia. But cigarettes can be dangerous for a
fetus even if the mother is not a smoker -- some studies have found
evidence of nicotine in babies born to women who were exposed to
passive cigarette smoke while they were pregnant. The relationship
between smoking and birth defects is unclear. Some studies show an
increased risk of neural tube defects (like spina bifida), cleft palate
and heart defects.
While you're pregnant, your blood carries nutrients -- as well as any
other substances to which you've been exposed -- to the developing
fetus. Taking the cautious approach about any over-the-counter or
prescription medications, and avoid during drugs like nicotine and
alcohol, will help you protect your baby from the immediate danger of
birth defects and from the legacy of health problems that exposure to
these substances can bring.
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