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Smoking during pregnancy can cause many problems, to you as well as to your child. Inhaling second-hand smoke is also harmful to you and your baby's health.
Tobacco smoke in the lungs reduces the amount of oxygen going to your baby, hampering growth and development in the critical time before birth. Health problems will increase with the amount you smoke, as well. It can cause problems with the placenta, with bleeding early or late in pregnancy, with premature and prolonged rupture of the membranes and with preterm delivery. Smoking during pregnancy also increases your risk of having a low birth weight baby, miscarriage and some studies have shown there is a link to birth defects and impaired intellectual development.
Second-hand smoke has also been shown to contribute to a greater possibility of your child developing asthma, pneumonia and bronchitis. It has also been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Even before conception there are risks. Smoking by fathers prior to conception has been linked to decreased fertility and limb deformities in newborns.
It is recommended that both parents quit smoking about three months prior to conception in a planned pregnancy. Think about ways to ensure your home stays smoke-free before and after birth.
The Canadian Cancer Society has self-help programs geared towards pregnant women and women planning pregnancy to help them quit smoking.
For more information contact the health unit or the local branch of the Canadian Cancer Society or Lung Association.
Other sites for more information:
www.pregnets.org
www.motherisk.org
www.beststart.org
Adapted from the former Muskoka- Parry Sound Health Unit. June 2005
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