From:
http://www.Marchofdimes.Com/professionals/
14332_1171.Asp (all lower case)
not only can smoking harm a woman’s health, but smoking during pregnancy can lead to pregnancy complications and serious health problems in newborns.
Statistics from the united states are compelling. If all pregnant women in the united states stopped smoking, there would be an estimated 11 percent reduction in stillbirths and a 5 percent reduction in newborn deaths, according to the u.S.
How can smoking harm the newborn?
Smoking nearly doubles a woman’s risk of having a low-birthweight baby. Smoking has long been known to slow fetal growth. Studies also suggest that smoking increases the risk of preterm delivery 37 weeks of gestation). Premature and low-birthweight babies face an increased risk of serious health problems during the newborn period, chronic lifelong disabilities (such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems) and even death.
Can smoking cause pregnancy complications?
Smoking has been associated with a number of pregnancy complications. Smoking cigarettes appears to double a woman’s risk of developing placental problems. 1 these include placenta previa (low-lying placenta that covers part or all of the opening of the uterus) and placental abruption (in which the placenta peels away, partially or almost completely, from the uterine wall before delivery). Both can result in heavy bleeding during delivery that can endanger mother and baby, although a cesarean delivery can prevent most deaths. Placental problems contribute to the slightly increased risk of stillbirth that is associated with smoking.
Smoking in pregnancy also appears to increase a woman’s risk of premature rupture of the membranes (prom) (when the sac inside the uterus that holds the baby breaks before labor begins).1 a woman with prom may experience a trickle or gush of fluid from her vagina when her water breaks. Usually, she will go into labor within a few hours. When prom occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy it is called preterm prom, and it often results in the birth of a premature baby.
Does smoking during pregnancy cause other problems in babies or young children?
A recent study suggests that babies of mothers who smoke during pregnancy may undergo withdrawal-like symptoms similar to those seen in babies of mothers who use some illicit drugs.3 for example, babies of smokers appear to be more jittery and difficult to soothe than babies of non-smokers.
babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are up to three times as likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (sids) as babies of nonsmokers.1
how can a woman stop smoking?
The march of dimes recommends that women stop smoking before they become pregnant and remain smoke-free throughout pregnancy and after the baby is born. A woman’s health care provider can refer her to a smoking-cessation program that is right for her or suggest other ways to help her quit. The march of dimes supports a 5- to 15-minute, 5-step counseling approach called “the 5 a’s,” which is performed by the health care provider during routine prenatal visits. This approach has been shown to improve smoking cessation rates by 30 to 70 percent among pregnant women.4 even later in pregnancy, a woman can reduce the risks to her baby by stopping smoking.
