Smoking....

How much can smoking cigarettes affect a pregnancy?

[Julia M Aharonov, DO]

Smoking while pregnant will:
Lower the amount of oxygen and nutrient available your growing baby.
Increase your baby's heart rate.
Increase the chances of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Increase the risk that your baby is born prematurely and/or born with low birth weight.
Increase your baby's risk of developing respiratory (lung) problems.
Nicotine by itself is a vasoconstrictor, it constricts arteries, including those in your uterus, which are responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to your developing baby.
The study done recently in Denmark found that women who used nicotine-replacement therapy in pregnancy had a greater risk of having babies with birth defects than women who did not.
You want to eat right and stay away from all unneeded drugs and alcohol while you are pregnant and nursing or mothering young children. Please take good care of yourself and that way you can be sure you are taking the best care of your child.