Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy

It is common knowledge that smoking during pregnancy is a big NO-NO. Aside from the known major public health problem caused by smoking to many, the risk it poses to pregnant women is greater. Effects of smoking during pregnancy can be like low-birth weight to babies.
But more than that, it can also harm the health of both mother and baby. Currently, in the United States alone, almost 10% of women smoke during pregnancy. This is an alarming fact since a stick of cigarette contains more than 2,500 chemicals that can be harmful to the developing fetus.
Just imagine this number of bad chemicals that play great roles in causing adverse pregnancy outcomes. This is the reason why effects of smoking during pregnancy is highly hazardous.
Low birth weight is the main reason of diverse infant diseases, disability, and stillbirth. More than that, it is also one of the prime causes of cot death in babies. Studies show that this risk is four times higher if the mother is smoking 1 to 9 cigarettes a day and this risk is heightened to eight times once a mother consumes 20 cigarettes a day.
Other effects of smoking during pregnancy are as follows:
• Placenta Abruption - This is the condition where the placenta pushes off the wall of the uterus either before or during labor, causing premature delivery thru caesarian section. • Placenta Previa - Because smoking during pregnancy thins the placenta, it can cover the opening of the cervix. This can cause bleeding during pregnancy and it makes vaginal birth highly risky. • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) - This disease is usually brought by smoking during pregnancy, causing sudden death to babies. • Preterm Labor - smoking induces pregnancy to end sooner thus placing the mother into premature labor. This is the body's effort to protect the baby from the hazardous side effects of smoking. • Stillbirth - It heightens the risk of the baby dying during the pregnancy. • Respiratory Infections - A mother smoking during pregnancy will have a baby that is more likely to have respiratory illnesses like asthma and other conditions. • Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) - Smoking during pregnancy induces your water to rupture too early. This can also lead to premature birth. • Colic - Studies show that pregnant women who smokes are most likely to have colicky babies.
With all the illnesses and serious medical conditions that smoking during pregnancy causes, it is really of high importance for all mothers to be oriented about its harmful effects. The longer that a mother smokes, the higher her risk of complications.
For example, if a mother stop smoking, specifically in the first half of her pregnancy, her baby will most likely be normal in weight. But if she continues to smoke throughout the pregnancy, she will have a low birth weight baby that is at risk to various medical problems. So, if you are a smoker, and you cannot quit smoking during pregnancy, better stop now or at the very least cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke.
If you do not want to have effect of smoking during pregnancy, you might want to get help from useful site like http://www.the9monthsclub.com
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