Harmful Effects of Tobacco on a Developing Baby

Women who smoke should consider quitting before trying to conceive.woman smoking image by csaba fikker from Fotolia.com

The harmful effects of smoking are doubled when a woman who is pregnant smokes or is subjected to secondhand smoke. Cigarettes are full of dangerous chemicals that pass from the mother to the baby, including nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar. Tobacco use is proven to increase the risk of complications during pregnancy and the need for the newborn to receive intensive care when born.

Smoking Slows Fetal Growth

Women who smoke while pregnant expose their unborn baby to the effects of nicotine and carbon monoxide. Nicotine constricts blood vessels that bring blood to the fetus, causing less blood to flow to the developing baby. Carbon monoxide passes from the mother to the baby in the bloodstream. The baby of a smoker receives less blood due to the smaller blood vessels, and the blood it does receive has less oxygen because of the carbon monoxide. Lack of oxygen leads to lower birth weight in babies. Smoking also suppresses the appetite, so women who smoke may not eat as many calories as they need to properly nourish their baby.

Moms who smoke increase the risk that they will deliver prematurely due to complications such as placenta previa and placental abruption. The placenta is what provides nourishment for your baby, and, if the placenta is covering the opening of the uterus or if it starts to separate from the uterine wall, the risk of a premature delivery is quite high. Premature babies have a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), breathing problems, and heart problems. Very premature babies may not have fully developed lungs or other organs.

The lowered levels of oxygen the fetus of a smoking mom receives is linked with neurological damage. It is believed that the area of the brain that regulates breathing is underdeveloped in babies exposed to smoke, and therefore they have a higher risk of SIDS. Smoking is also believed harmful to the areas of the brain that control the heart and waking patterns.