Smoking active or passive releases carbon monoxide and other chemicals harmful to mother and baby both. Smoking reduces a woman’s chances of getting pregnant.
- Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk for pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, premature labor pains, gestational hypertension, and placental abruption.
- Mothers who smoke have an increased risk of Miscarriage and stillbirth.
- Mothers who smoke are more likely to deliver their babies early. Preterm delivery is a leading cause of death, disability, and disease among newborns.
- One in every five babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy has a low birth weight. Mothers exposed to second-hand smoke while pregnant are more likely to have lower birth weight babies. Babies born too small or too early are not as healthy.
- Both babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant and those exposed to second-hand smoke after birth are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than babies who are not exposed to cigarette smoke. Babies whose mothers smoke are about three times more likely to die from SIDS.
So smoking should be stopped a few months prior to planning pregnancy and if a woman becomes pregnant while smoking she should stop smoking immediately. For more information, consult the best gynecologist in Indore.