Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : November 12, 2014 8:57 PM IST
There is a reason why women are advised to give up smoking and drinking before planning a pregnancy. While indulging in such vices does not help in restoring one s health in any way, they result in adverse consequences if practised throughout pregnancy. There is enough evidence to show that both smoking and drinking can lead to poor maternal and fetal health. Excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy is related to a condition called fetal alcohol syndrome wherein it can give rise to compromised intellectual abilities and other physical anomalies in the child. On the other hand, smoking during pregnancy can harm the fetus in the following ways:
Restricted oxygen transmission
Did you know that when you smoke (just one cigarette) you take in around 4000 odd chemicals including the deadly cyanide, lead and more than 50 other cancer-causing elements? While all these elements can erode your internal organs and body fluids to the core, they don t spare your baby too. This is because as the toxins interfere with your baby s oxygen intake. Moreover, of all the chemicals that you inhale with every puff, nicotine and carbon monoxide cause the most damage. Nicotine narrows the blood vessels in your body including the ones in the umbilical cord, responsible for oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby. While carbon monoxide sticks to the red blood cells that are originally supposed to carry oxygen to the baby. Reduced oxygen simply means compromised nourishment needed for growth and development of the baby. Here are four breathing exercises every pregnant woman should do to boost circulation during pregnancy.
Increased risk of stillbirth and premature delivery
One of the many ways that less oxygen supply interferes with baby s well-being in the womb is by increasing the risk of stillbirth and premature delivery. In fact, second-hand smoke can be equally dangerous for your baby and result in similar consequences. Remember when the cigarette burns till the end, it emits more harmful chemicals than the smoke inhaled by the smoker. If you are exposed to secondhand smoke throughout your pregnancy your chances of experiencing a stillbirth or a premature delivery increases manifold. Apart from this, smoking and secondhand smoke both can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in babies. Here are five things that happen to you during pregnancy that you need to be aware of.
Affects organ development
While smoke from the cigarette reduces oxygen transmission from the mother to the baby, it also affects organ development in the fetus. If the mother has been smoking incessantly during pregnancy then it can lead to underdeveloped lungs and brain in the baby. This could have a devastating long-term effect on the baby after the birth. Babies born to mothers who were smokers or had been exposed to secondhand smoke often suffer from respiratory problems after birth and are prone to allergies or develop asthma in the future. It also leads to behavourial problems, learning difficulties and reduced intellect in children. Here are eight things in the environment that can harm your unborn child.
Reduced weight and size
Smoking is associated with low birth weight in babies and reduced size of the fetus. In fact, this is one of the prime reasons that lead to organ defect in the fetus. Moreover, reduced birth weight can also lead to labour complications and have negative consequences that can have a lasting effect on your baby. Know how your weight can come in the way of getting pregnant.
Congenital heart defects
Smoking during pregnancy has been linked with congenital heart defects in babies. A study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1981 and 87 noted that the risk of developing congenital heart defects in babies whose mothers smoke was 20 to 70 percent higher than it was for babies born to non-smokers. The most noted defects found on such babies were obstruction of blood flow from the right side of the heart to the lungs and the openings between the upper chambers of the heart. Here are seven symptoms of congenital heart diseases you need to know.
Image source: Getty Images
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