Risks of Mother's Smoking for the Unborn Baby |
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| The most well known risk from cigarette smoking in pregnancy is low birth weight. This is due to the combined effect of increased prematurity and decreased growth of the fetus prior to birth. | |
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The risk of a premature birth is 50% greater in women who smoke than those who do not. Even more worrisome, the risk of having a baby with diminished growth is 2 to 4 times greater in smokers than in nonsmoking women. It is also known that the more a woman smokes, the smaller a baby will be. |
| Smoking also carries other significant risks during a pregnancy. In early pregnancy the risk of miscarriage is higher. In later pregnancy, the risk of the placenta separating from the wall of the uterus (womb) is higher, known as placental abruption, which is a life-threatening condition to the baby. Also, the likelihood that the placenta will implant on the lower part of the uterus, called placenta previa, is higher. Both of these conditions can cause bleeding in the later half of pregnancy. There is even some evidence to show that babies born to smoking mothers may have learning delays and more problems with hyperactivity later in childhood. | |