Smoking and pregnancy: What are the risks? |
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In
pregnant women, carbon monoxide (a lethal gas) and the high doses of
Nicotine obtained when they inhale Tobacco smoke interferes with oxygen
supply to the fetus. Nicotine readily crosses the placenta, and
nicotine concentrations in the fetus can be as much as 15 percent
higher than maternal levels. It appears that nicotine is concentrated
in fetal blood, amniotic fluid, and breast milk. Another ingredient of
tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide, has been shown to inhibit the release
of oxygen into fetal tissues. These factors, combined, likely account
for the developmental delays commonly seen in the fetuses and infants
of smoking mothers.
Women who smoke during pregnancy are
at greater risk than nonsmokers for premature delivery, and there is a
risk of lower birth weight for infants carried to term. In the United
States it is estimated that 20 percent or more of pregnant women smoke
throughout their pregnancies. The adverse effects of smoking may occur
in every trimester of pregnancy; they range from spontaneous abortions
in the first trimester to increased premature delivery rates and
decreased birth weights in the final trimester. The decreased birth
weights seen in infants of mothers who smoke reflects a dose-dependent
relationship: the more the woman smokes during pregnancy, the greater
the reduction of infant birth weight. Conversely, women who give up
smoking early in pregnancy have infants of similar weight to those of
nonsmokers.
Source: National Institute on Drug abuse
Toll Free: 888-9NO-DRUGS or 888-966-3784
| Definitions of Terms Used |
| Drug abuse | The use of illegal drugs or the inappropriate use of legal drugs. The repeated use of drugs to produce pleasure, to alleviate stress, or to alter or avoid reality - or all three.
| | Nicotine | The drug in tobacco that is addictive. Nicotine also activates a specific kind of acetylcholine receptor.
| | Tobacco | A plant widely cultivated for its leaves, which are used primarily for smoking; the tabacum species is the major source of tobacco products.
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