Today, May 31st, World No Tobacco Day is celebrated, and that is why from “Babies and More” we want to put our little grain of sand to raise awareness about the importance of a smoke-free pregnancy. Because if you smoke, your baby does too .
And it is that, unfortunately, tobacco smoke affects 700 million children in the world, half of the child population, so this fact becomes a serious public health problem of which we must all become aware.
Smoking in pregnancy, a serious risk
Smoking during pregnancy poses a serious risk to the health of the baby, the only way to protect it is to stop smoking and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke.
When you smoke, you inhale toxic substances such as nicotine and carbon monoxide (the same that comes out of car exhaust pipes). These substances reach the placenta , affecting the flow of nutrients and oxygen that the baby needs to grow and develop.
But despite knowing the serious problems that it entails, according to the data presented in the conference “Gynecology and Obstetrics in Smoking”, 25 percent of women of childbearing age smoke , and of them more than half continue to do so during pregnancy .
How Smoking Affects Pregnancy
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It affects the baby’s arteries, predisposing him to more congenital heart problems and making him more prone to cardiovascular disease, including stroke.
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Increased risk of stillbirth and birth defects: Smoke exposure during pregnancy is associated with a 23 percent increased risk of stillbirth and a 13 percent increased risk of birth defects.
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It increases the risk of low birth weight and increased risk of being born prematurely.
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Higher frequency of respiratory pulmonary infections during the first two years of life and higher risk of suffering from asthma.
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Increased likelihood of sudden infant death syndrome.
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Smoking during pregnancy also affects the fertility of the baby: there are studies that have evaluated the impact of tobacco on the fertility of children and indicate that in the case of children, there is a reduction in sperm concentration of between 20 and 40%; and in girls, it affects their ovarian function.
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Increased risk of future behavior problems such as hyperactivity and attention and concentration problems.
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Other associated problems: increased risk of childhood cancer, increased likelihood of strabismus and cleft lip.
For the smoker mother, tobacco also has important risks for her health and apart from the best known (such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and other problems) there are also:
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Ectopic pregnancy
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Premature rupture of membranes
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Placental complications
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Preterm delivery
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Spontaneous abortion
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Gestational diabetes
Also remember that even if you are not a smoker, it is important that during pregnancy no one smokes around you, since becoming a passive smoker also affects your health and that of your child .
Quitting may not be easy, but your baby deserves the effort.
In Babies and more | The risk of sudden death of the baby increases for each cigarette the mother smokes, according to a study
