Written By: Satata Karmakar | Published : June 15, 2026 12:17 PM IST
Medically Verified By: Dr. Raja Dhar
What happens when you smoke during pregnancy? Expert explains
Smoking during pregnancy remains one of the most preventable yet serious risks to fetal well-being. Despite being familiar to many, the long-term ramifications of smoking on a child's development of lung and respiratory health are often underestimated. A pregnant woman who smokes is subject to having her baby face serious malformations like impaired lung growth and functioning before even being born.
Oxygen is supplied to the developing fetus fully by the mother. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, carbon monoxide, and many other harmful chemicals that impair oxygen delivery to the fetus and disrupt normal lung development. Nicotine may cause direct interference with the development of airway and lung tissue; in contrast, carbon monoxide decreases the amount of oxygen supplied to the baby through the placenta. Therefore, babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy may be born with underdeveloped lungs and less respiratory reserve.
In an exclusive interaction with TheHealthSite.com, Dr. Raja Dhar, HOD Pulmonology, CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI, explained that one of the immediate risks associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy are low birth weight and early delivery.
"Premature infants, because they are born before they are fully mature, have underdeveloped lungs and, therefore, they are more at risk for lung or breathing complications; they frequently suffer from respiratory infections and experience long-term pulmonary issues throughout life. However the effects of maternal tobacco use do not stop at delivery. Many studies show childhood exposure to tobacco smoke in utero leads to an increased risk for developing asthma, frequent wheezing, allergies, bronchitis, and decreased lung function, and is a contributing factor to developing these types of diseases later on in childhood," said Dr Dhar.
During the conversation, Dr Dhar also highlighted another emerging issue of concern today which is passive smoke exposure. Many pregnant women do not smoke themselves but may be exposed to secondhand smoke on a continual basis; for example, from either their home environment or from social situations in which they may frequently participate. Similar to those women who smoke, there are serious health risks associated with maternal tobacco use; this includes the inhaling and absorption of harmful toxic particles and chemicals into the bloodstream. Many women continue to believe that "occasional exposure is harmless", even though this belief is false.
Concerns have grown among doctors regarding the use of e-cigarettes during pregnancy. Many mothers-to-be think that using e-cigarettes will be less harmful to their unborn child than using regular cigarettes. However, most vaping products are still considered a risk to fetal lung development and cardiovascular development due to exposure to nicotine and/or other potentially harmful chemicals. There is not yet any known safe way to expose an unborn child to tobacco or nicotine.
There are also several childhood respiratory problems that can interfere with sleep quality, physical activity, school attendance and overall quality of life. Lung damage in young children may increase their risk of developing chronic respiratory disease in later adulthood.
An encouraging thing is that stopping smoking at any time will improve outcomes both for mom and baby during pregnancy. The sooner that you can quit smoking, the more benefit there will be. Family support is also very important, especially in preventing second-hand smoke from being around pregnant women and newborns.
Disclaimer: Pregnancy is an important time to protect your child's health for the long-term. Quitting all forms of tobacco is an important aspect of protecting your own health, as well as ensuring proper lung development and strong respiratory health of your child in the future.
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