MEDICAL SOLUTIONS ZONE

Smoking during pregnancy

In Bangladesh, women usually do not smoke. But it is common for women to smoke in western countries. Those who are smokers and are thinking about getting pregnant, the first step they need to take is to quit smoking. If you are like most smokers, you may have thought about or tried quitting before.

However, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, you now need to not only think about your health, but the health of your baby. Smoking will affect your child's development and future growth.

Smoking during pregnancy would cause an increase in infant deaths and such death can be decreased if these women quit smoking. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals – approximately 2,500 chemicals are being entered into the child's bloodstream with every puff on a cigarette. Nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide are the most dangerous and most toxic to the fetus, impacting them during the most crucial development stages while inside the womb.

Even if the mothers do not smoke, their children can be impacted by them who are frequently exposed to cigarette smoke such as the smoking habit of the fathers. The second-hand smoke can be just as harmful to both the mother and the child. A woman who smokes or is exposed to frequent second-hand smoke is more likely to have a baby born with low birth weight and stunted growth. The sooner the woman quits or stays away from the second-hand smoke, the better the chances of good health for her and her child.

Smoking has been associated with a higher risk in pregnancy, which is when the embryo has been implanted in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. When this happens, medication has to be taken to remove the embryo, or in the worst case, the tube must be surgically removed. Smoking will also increase the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage and vaginal bleeding that is severe enough to harm the baby.

Smoking while pregnant can make the child develop slower, increasing the risk for low birth weight and the risk for a preterm delivery (the child is delivered before 37 weeks of gestation) by 30%.

There are also other abnormalities such as cleft lip, cleft palate or other birth defects. Babies born of smoking mothers are more likely to die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and can have higher chances of asthma, behavioral problems and learning disabilities from the slower developmental growth.

So, stop smoking and do not be near second-hand smoke while being a pregnant woman, because it can affect both the mother and the baby throughout the pregnancy and early years of their lives.