Smoking During Pregnancy
 Smoking while pregnant is probably one of the most
common causes of abnormalities in babies, such as: premature birth,
babies born too small and babies who die before they are born at
all.
Why is it so dangerous to smoke during pregnancy?
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 different chemicals, including
cyanide and lead, and at least 60 different cancer-causing compounds.
When you smoke during pregnancy, that toxic concoction gets into
your bloodstream which is also your baby's only source of oxygen and
nutrients.
Two of those chemicals found in cigarettes are especially dangerous: nicotine
and carbon monoxide, and it is these toxins that account for almost every
smoking-related complication in pregnancy.
The most serious complications, which include
stillbirth, premature delivery, and a low birth weight, can
be chalked up to the fact that nicotine and carbon monoxide
work together to cut down your baby's supply of oxygen.
Basically, the nicotine will choke off oxygen by narrowing
the blood vessels throughout your body, including the ones
in the umbilical cord!
How will smoking affect my baby?
A shortage of oxygen will have a devastating effect on a baby's
growth and development. On average, smoking during pregnancy doubles
the chances that a baby will be born too early or weigh less than
5½ pounds at birth. Smoking will more than double the risk
of you having a stillbirth.
Smoking during your pregnancy will have the following effects on your
developing baby:
 Weight and Size:
On average, a pack-a-day habit during pregnancy will shave about
a half a pound from a baby's birth weight.
Body and Lungs:
Undersized babies tend to have underdeveloped bodies. As a result,
their lungs may not be developed enough to work on their own, which
means they may spend their first days or weeks attached to a resporator.
Even after they can breathe on their own, their troubles may continue.
Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are especially vulnerable
to asthma later in life. Underdeveloped lungs may also help explain
the tragic fact that smoking during pregnancy can double or even
triple the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Brain function:
Smoking during pregnancy can have lifelong effects on a baby's brain.
Children of pregnant smokers are especially likely to have learning
disorders, behavioral problems, and relatively low IQs.
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