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Smoking during pregnancy can endanger the health of the pregnant woman, but it can also harm the baby, so even if it is difficult, one should avoid using the cigarette or reduce this habit, in addition to avoiding spaces in which the cigarette smoke be very intense.
Cigarette smoke consists of a complex mixture of dozens of chemicals, considered carcinogenic to humans and capable, in the case of pregnancy, to cause changes in the level of the placenta and the maternal-fetal circulation.
Some of the most common consequences that can result from cigarette smoking during pregnancy are:
1. Miscarriage
The risk of miscarriage in pregnant women who smoke, compared to those who do not use cigarettes, is greater, especially during the first three months of pregnancy. Find out what symptoms can occur during a miscarriage.
In addition, the risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy is also higher in women who smoke. Studies indicate that 1 to 5 cigarettes a day are enough for the risk to be 60% higher than for non-smoking women.
2. Genetic defects
The probability of the baby being born with genetic defects is also greater in women who smoke during pregnancy than those who adopt a healthy lifestyle. This is because cigarette smoke contains dozens of toxic carcinogens that can cause genetic defects and malformations in the baby.
3. Premature or low birth weight
The use of cigarettes during pregnancy increases the probability of the baby being born with low weight or premature births, which may be due to the reduction in the vasodilation capacity of the placenta. Here's how to care for a premature baby.
4. Sudden death
The baby is more likely to die suddenly in the first three months after birth if the mother smoked during pregnancy.
5. Allergies and respiratory infections
The baby is more likely to develop allergies and respiratory infections after birth if the mother smoked during pregnancy.
6. Displacement of the placenta
Placental detachment and early rupture of the pouch occur more frequently in mothers who smoke. This is because there is a vasoconstrictor effect caused by nicotine in the uterine and umbilical arteries, which, associated with an increase in the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin, leads to hypoxia, causing infarction of the placenta. Know what to do if placental displacement occurs.
7. Complications in pregnancy
There is a greater risk of the pregnant woman developing complications in pregnancy, such as thrombosis, which is the formation of clots inside the veins or arteries, which can also form in the placenta, which can cause abortion or else loosen and accumulate in another organ, such as the lung or brain, for example.
Therefore, it is important for the pregnant woman to avoid using cigarettes or to avoid frequent places with a lot of smoke during pregnancy. If the woman is a smoker and wants to get pregnant, a good tip is to reduce the cigarette until you stop smoking before becoming pregnant. Know what to do to stop smoking.
Smoking while breastfeeding is also discouraged, because in addition to the cigarette reducing milk production and the baby gaining less weight, the toxic substances in the cigarette pass into breast milk and the baby, when ingesting them, may have learning difficulties and a greater risk of developing diseases, such as pneumonia, bronchitis or allergies, for example.