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Smoking During Pregnancy And How It Can Damage Your Child

Most pregnant mothers probably realize that smoking during pregnancy is putting their unborn child at risk. But many may not know the full extent of the risk. Smoking while pregnant puts the child at risk for a long list of possible consequences. Your child may even suffer from negative effects if you inhale second hand smoke. So a mother really has to make sure that she is protecting not only herself, but her baby while she is carrying. There are many methods to quit smoking safely and for those that need the support, there are support groups available. The following is information on the devastating effects smoking while pregnant can have on your child.

Were you aware that when you smoke, so does your baby? That is a well-known fact.Your baby gets his or her first taste of chemicals such as carbon monoxide and nicotine. You provide nourishment to your baby via the placenta including oxygen. Of course whatever is in your system, from smoking, gets transferred into the placenta and is available to your developing fetus. Formaldehyde is just one of the hundreds of chemicals that are put into cigarettes.

We mentioned earlier that when a mother smokes while pregnant her child can have compromised lung functions. By smoking while pregnant, you place your child at a greater risk for lung issues such as asthma and a greater tendency for pneumonia. These children are also at a greater risk for bronchitis and other chronic respiratory symptoms. Keep in mind that these problems also involve your child's immune system. So in addition to what was just mentioned, it is known that there is a general tendency toward susceptibility toward infections.

Pregnancy and smoking do not go together. Cigarette smoking is the main culprit and it can be broken down further into more specific causes.Nicotine constricts blood vessels when it is present in the blood, this happens to the baby as well. Your heart rate increases to compensate for the reduced blood flow. The baby's brain and cardiovascular system will be compromised.
Smoking During Pregnancy And How It Can Damage Your Child


This should be a tremendous cause for concern for women who smoke while pregnancy.We don't completely understand the highly negative effects on a baby if the mother smokes. While the discussed effects have been regarding the unborn baby, these effects won't disappear after birth. The consequences associated with smoking while pregnant can affect the child well into adulthood. So you see, smoking during pregnancy has lifelong consequences on the child and many of which can be dire. That is why awareness and support to quit smoking is so incredibly important for both mother and baby.

by: vijayjannair123




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