Five ways smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby

Five ways smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby

by Editorial Team

A lot of people smoke even though they are fully aware of the negative effects it has on our bodies. However, there's a difference between harming your own body and harming a child who has not even been born yet. We will give you five reasons expectant mothers need to kick the butt:

Smoking makes your baby's brain smaller

According to a study, smoking during pregnancy can lead to babies with smaller brains which make them more prone to stress and anxiety. The reason behind it, scientists suspect, is that smoking affects the development of foetus by destroying neurons and reducing oxygen supply to the womb.  

Smoking is likely to give your baby meningitis

According to British researchers, smoking during pregnancy trebles the chances of the baby developing meningitis. Meningitis is caused by an infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Smoking leads to low weight babies

According to the findings of a research conducted in Spain, it was found that women who smoked during pregnancy gave birth to lighter babies. A research was conducted on 1,216 newly born babies and it was seen that such babies were lighter by 216 grams on an average. For those who don't know, babies born with low birth weight are likely to suffer from malnutrition, developmental disorders, learning disabilities, heart-related issues and a host of other conditions.

Your kid is likelier to suffer from heart disease

According to a study, children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more susceptible to heart disease because they have lower levels of HDL, than children of non-smokers. By the age of eight, children born to mothers who smoked had HDL levels of about 1.3 millimoles per litre as against a more normal level of 1.5 millimoles per litre among children of non-smoking mothers. 

You're likelier to suffer problems during pregnancy

Smoking during pregnancy does not create problems for the baby only after it's born. Even during the pregnancy period and delivery, several problems can arise. When you smoke during pregnancy, your unborn baby gets affected by the chemicals from the cigarette. There is an increased risk for premature rupture of the amniotic sac, placenta previa (a condition where the placenta is placed in an unusual position in the uterus), miscarriage, and neonatal death. (Read: The most comprehensive guide to first trimester dos and don'ts you'll ever need!)

So kick the butt and give your child the best life he or she deserves. 

For more articles on pregnancy, visit our Pregnancy Section and for videos check out our YouTube Channel. 

 

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