Smoking and Pregnancy

Mothers who smoke put their unborn children at risk for many negative consequences. In fact, smoking can affect a couple's ability to even get pregnant in the first place, regardless of which partner smokes. According to Dr. Philip Owen, nicotine reduces a woman's fertility by affecting the production of hormones that are necessary for pregnancy. Smoking also hinders the transportation of the egg through the Fallopian tubes to the womb. Men who smoke have a 15% lower sperm count on average.

According to the Discovery Pregnancy Center, 13% of pregnant women in the United States smoke during their pregnancy. While a baby is in the womb, it is completely dependent on the mother for everything. Substances including food and oxygen come to the baby through the placenta and the umbilical cord. When a pregnant woman smokes, her unborn child is exposed to all of the harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke. Because smoking a cigarette decreases the amount of oxygen in someone's blood, it follows that a mother who smokes will decrease the amount of oxygen available to her baby. Fetal heart rate increases as the unborn child struggles to get enough oxygen.

Women who smoke are more likely to miscarry their baby or have a stillbirth pregnancy. However, mothers who smoke during pregnancy and have a live birth have babies who:

• are born prematurely
• have a low birth weight that is on average 7 ounces less than babies born to mothers who didn't smoke during pregnancy.
• have smaller-than-average organs
• have poorer lung function
• are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome
• are ill more frequently
• are more likely to become smokers themselves

If you are currently smoking during pregnancy, it isn't too late to stop. Every cigarette you decide to not smoke will improve your baby's health. Make the decision to stop today.