Smoking in Pregnancy

This is not a two-sided discussion. You must STOP smoking for the health and well being of your baby.

Tobacco has detrimental effects that are dose-related upon pregnancy. The more you smoke, the more harm. All of the following problems have been associated with the use of tobacco in pregnancy:

• Increase spontaneous abortion rate (miscarriage)
• Growth retardation in the baby
• Abnormal location of the placenta (previa)
• Abruption of the placenta (coming loose from the uterine wall)
• Blood pressure elevation (pre-eclampsia)
• Abnormal bleeding in pregnancy
• Premature labor
• Preterm delivery (early delivery)

The following problems are seen in increased frequency in children of smoking mothers:

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Learning disability
• Decreased achievement scores on school testing
• Hyperactive children

Switching from regular cigarettes to low tar, low nicotine cigarettes is also not good because it increases the carbon monoxide level in the mother's blood.

PLEASE STOP SMOKING............................FOR YOUR BABY