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Smoking during pregnancy: what should everyone know?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 29.11.2021
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Pregnancy is a joyful event in the life of a woman, but for some women it becomes a real test in an attempt to quit smoking. Undoubtedly, it is better not to start to delay at all. And if you are a smoker with experience and so difficult to "tie", even being in an interesting position?

Statistics are such that the addiction to cigarettes is spreading more and more among women, and the age of first acquaintance with tobacco is getting younger.

Hearing the medical "no" for smoking during pregnancy, most women still perebaryvayut themselves. The justification for future mum-smokers is "puffy ears" and increased nervousness, as well as reviews of those who smoked quietly throughout the pregnancy, and nothing happened to the child. However, existing data from more than 300 studies conducted around the world converge on the complex adverse effect of smoking in pregnancy. Negative facts from addiction include: 

  • the birth of a premature baby
  • increased risk of perinatal mortality; 
  • insufficient weight of the newborn; 
  • physical pathologies; 
  • risk of spontaneous abortion; 
  • the state of pre-eclampsia, which threatens the life of the baby and the woman herself (signs - pronounced puffiness, presence of protein in the urine, high blood pressure); 
  • risk of occurrence of diseases of an innate character; 
  • delayed in time manifestation of the negative impact of tobacco - mental, intellectual disorders, etc.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4]

Than smoking is dangerous during pregnancy?

Adverse changes in smoking pregnant women are reduced to pathologies: in the maternal body, with intrauterine formation of the baby, in infants and growing up children.

The mother organism and the organism of the child are a single whole - when the woman does the next puff, the baby is surrounded by a smoke screen, leading to vasospasm and oxygen starvation. Doctors mark placental changes in pregnant women who abuse cigarettes. In this case, the placenta becomes more rounded and thinner. The increase in the number of spontaneous abortions, the number of neonatal episodes of mortality and the facts of deceleration in the development of newborns are attributed to early detachment and situations with major placenta infarctions due to the negative effect of nicotine.

The results of smoking before conception, during the period of gestation and after birth: 

  • an increase in the number of spontaneous abortions and spontaneous labor; 
  • the incidence of premature babies with insufficient body weight; 
  • disorders associated with the process of breastfeeding; 
  • decrease in adaptive factors and increase in cases of neonatal diseases; 
  • risk of birth defects; 
  • noticeable lagging behind the kids in the mental and physical terms.

There are facts about the adverse effects of smoking during pregnancy on the system of peripheral blood supply of the future mother, as well as a decrease in the respiratory activity of the fetus. The damaging effect of carbon monoxide and nicotine on intrauterine fetal development relates to a decrease in the ability of hemoglobin to transport oxygen. As a result, the arterial spasm of the uterus disrupts the placental function.

Harm to smoking during pregnancy

It is a little known fact that tobacco carcinogens have a depressing effect on the functioning of the reproductive system of the fetus. Girls have a decrease in the stock of eggs, and boys in later life may have problems with potency.

It is difficult to underestimate the harm of smoking during pregnancy for the mother herself: 

  • the process of gestation is more severe; 
  • cases of early toxicosis, as well as the state of gestosis, are common ; 
  • aggravated problems associated with varicose veins, dizziness, digestive disorders (constipation); 
  • nicotine causes a deficiency of vitamin C.

I would like to note that an insufficient amount of vitamin C in the mother's body entails such troubles as: the failure of metabolic processes and the functioning of immunity, a violation of the assimilation of proteins and depressive conditions.

Smoking during pregnancy leads to intoxication of the fetus with tobacco smoke. The baby involuntarily becomes a passive smoker. Such children are often prone to addictions like tobacco and alcohol, already in adolescence. The most terrible thing is that newborns often suffer from "nicotine starvation", that is, in their mother's womb they form a harmful dependence. The addiction manifests itself in different ways: moods and bad sleep, the first inhalation at birth with the subsequent state of suffocation.

How does smoking affect pregnancy?

Smoking is passive or actively makes the child a smoker already in the mother's womb, and the concentration of carcinogens from tobacco smoke in the developing baby is much higher and lasts longer than in the blood of the mother. It is proved that  secondhand smoke increases the risk of developing the dementia syndrome.

Maternity means care, love, the ability to think about the happiness and health of the future child. However, some women in the situation neither horror stories about distant problems, nor information about harmful components of tobacco do not stop before addiction. But still they should know how smoking damages during pregnancy. These knowledge did not appear from scratch, but reflect research data from scientists around the world on the effects of nicotine on the course of pregnancy and the development of the embryo: 

  • the ability to conceive in smokers is significantly reduced - women have difficulty in moving the egg in the fallopian tubes and inhibiting the action of hormones, and in men, spermatozoa lose their mobility; 
  • the number of boys born decreases - it is proved that the male embryo becomes more and more used to the conditions of survival. Passive smoking, for example, reduces the possible birth of a son by a third; 
  • the child of parent-smokers is doomed to problems related to reproductive function; 
  • smoking a future mother makes the child nicotine-dependent; 
  • Smoking during pregnancy threatens premature detachment of the placenta, leading to complications of labor with large blood loss or miscarriage; 
  • children of mothers-smokers - premature, lag behind in development from peers; 
  • there are defects in development, various pathologies - of the face, limbs, internal organs; 
  • tobacco smoke disrupts lung function in a child, which is provoked by a lack of surfactant; 
  • the abuse of cigarettes often causes sudden infant death syndrome
  • babies of mother-smokers are most susceptible to various diseases.

How does smoking affect pregnancy?

Intensive smoking during pregnancy affects the weight of a woman. The body weight of a smoker is less because of a decrease in appetite as a result of a harmful habit and a decrease in the amount of diet consumed.

Scientists have determined that the number of spontaneous abortions directly depends on the number of cigarettes smoked by the future mother. Infant mortality in childbirth of mothers-smokers increases by 30%, and the risk of unfavorable course of labor in smokers doubles. Premature birth is another adverse consequence of tobacco.

How does smoking affect pregnancy and the quantitative content of thiocyanate? Daily smoking up to twenty cigarettes leads to an increase in thiocyanate in the blood of the mother and the baby, as determined by the analysis of blood serum. The increase in thiocyanate causes endothelial dysfunction, which is a major factor in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary processes.

Effect of smoking on pregnancy

Physicians have included the concept of "fetal tobacco syndrome" to determine the degree of influence of nicotine on the baby. A similar diagnosis in children is differentiated if: 

  • the future mother smoked more than five cigarettes daily; 
  • there was severe hypertension in a woman during gestation; 
  • in a newborn at 37 weeks, symmetrical growth retardation was noted; 
  • dull sensations of taste and smell, there is stomatitis; 
  • there is an increased coagulability of the blood; 
  • there is a violation of hemopoiesis; 
  • decreased immunity; 
  • premature aging of the skin (wrinkle formation); 
  • antidiuretic effect.

The negative influence of smoking on pregnancy relates primarily to abnormalities in the structure of the placenta tissue, which becomes thinner, its weight is significantly reduced in comparison with the norm. The placenta acquires a rounded shape under the influence of nicotine, undergoes changes in the blood supply. These pathological processes often contribute to premature rejection of the placenta, extensive hemorrhage in her tissue and death of the fetus.

Carcinogens of tobacco smoke activate spasm in the uterine arteries, leading to dysfunction of the placental circulation and, as a consequence, insufficient intake of oxygen to the fetus, which causes a slowdown in growth. The high content of carbon dioxide in the blood can lead to hypoxia of the embryo.

It is important to note that smoking during pregnancy lowers the absorption of vitamins B, C and folic acid, which is fraught with problems when laying the central nervous system in the baby.

trusted-source[5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]

Does smoking affect pregnancy?

The news about the birth of life does not always force a woman to give up cigarettes. Many of the expectant mothers prefer to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked / packs and only.

The reaction of the baby in the mother's tummy was tracked by scientists who performed ultrasound diagnosis. It turned out that only with the intention of a pregnant woman to smoke began to shrink and grimace.

If you are still in doubt about whether smoking affects pregnancy, you should refer to the experience of medical representatives. The study of the consequences of tobacco smoke for the mother and baby was done by scientists from all over the world. In addition to physical pathologies, underdevelopment, intellectual and mental problems, smoking during pregnancy is fraught with difficulties in social implementation in the future. The closed, unfavorable space in which the baby was in development, leaves its imprint on the subconscious level for life.

Recall that cigarette smoke consists of approximately 800 components, thirty of which are poisonous - carbon monoxide, nicotine, cadmium, mercury, cobalt, etc. Therefore, tobacco intoxication is the constant companion of all mom-smokers and their children.

trusted-source[11]

Smoking and Pregnancy Planning

Planning conception means the willingness of a married couple to become a parent. With this approach, both the man and the woman realize the importance of creating healthy, full-fledged development conditions for the future baby. Spouses knowingly check the state of their body, get rid of existing problems, put their emotional state in order.

Obvious for such people is that smoking and planning for pregnancy are incompatible things. Both future parents must give up negative habits as soon as possible. After all, the capacity for reproductive functions in smokers is almost halved. Men significantly decrease the quality of sperm, and in women - the number of eggs decreases. As it turned out, it is more difficult for smokers to become pregnant, even with IVF, and the number of attempts is doubled.

Proceeding from the fact that the male body gets rid of nicotine faster than the female, it is possible to plan conception three months after quitting smoking, provided that only the future father was a smoker.

When can I plan a pregnancy after smoking?

A number of studies have reported that purification of blood occurs after eight hours from the moment of smoking. For complete elimination of nicotine toxins from the body it will take up to six months.

Before pregnancy should give up cigarettes at least a month, because nicotine significantly reduces the chances of a possible conception. It should be noted that the use of nicotine patch or chewing gum to combat tobacco dependence can only be done before conception.

A lot has been said about the negative effect of smoking on the female body - cardiac, pulmonary diseases, liver problems, lowering of protective forces, etc. How long will a woman recover from a pernicious habit? Everything depends on the intensity of smoking, the state of the body's systems, proper nutrition and emotional stability. How will pregnancy take place after smoking, depends on the presence of chronic diseases caused by addiction.

Smoking before pregnancy

Nicotine dependence is a frequent cause of infertility. Scientists have found that in women, smokers are less viable egg cells. This is due to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons entering the organs and systems through tobacco smoke. The woman's ability to conceive decreases on average by half, which is determined by the frequency and number of cigarettes smoked.

Women with a predilection for cigarettes are more likely to suffer from malfunctions in the menstrual cycle, they do not experience ovulation and a quick acquaintance with the menopause.

Passive smoking before pregnancy, especially when the negative habit is also affected by the father, further reduces the chances of successful fertilization. Male smokers have problems with the potency, quality and viability of spermatozoa.

Smoking early in pregnancy

You smoked and did not know that you were pregnant. The news of a new life inside of you brings joy and anxiety about the possible harm done. Nature here also took care of the future baby. The conception is roughly on the fourteenth day of the cycle. The first week is characterized by a lack of communication between the mother and the embryo, developing at the expense of its forces and reserves. The introduction of the embryo into the endometrium of the uterus is carried out only in the second week of the period, and after the delay comes the woman learns of pregnancy.

Smoking at the beginning of pregnancy disrupts all physiological processes in the maternal body, negatively affects the laying of the internal organs and systems of the future baby.

It is easier to forget about the addictive habit at the beginning of gestation, rather than do it at later dates.

Smoking in the early stages of pregnancy

Nicotine dependence prevents "ripen" the organs of the future baby, replacing healthy cells with patients. The appearance of defective cells is due to tobacco toxins. The maximum nicotine damage is applied to the bone marrow, which requires a transplant after the baby's birth.

A future mother may not be aware of the onset of pregnancy or comfort herself with excuses: quitting smoking will be stress for the baby, the first two weeks there is no connection between the mother's body and the embryo.

Whatever it was, smoking at an early stage of pregnancy - selfishness and irresponsibility to your child. Gynecologists-obstetricians in one voice assert that it is better to forget about cigarettes even before conception. If the pregnancy was not planned, then the future mother should get rid of the addiction immediately after receiving the joyful news.

Smoking in early pregnancy

The most harmful is considered smoking in the early stages of pregnancy, when there is a "laying" of all the organs and systems of the baby. One puff delivers a solid amount of harmful substances to the embryo - nicotine, benzapyrene, carbon monoxide. Nicotine provokes hypoxia of the fetus, caused by the action of carbon monoxide, which penetrates through the placental barrier into the blood of the infant and forms hemoglobin carboxyhemoglobin.

The presence of nicotine in the body of a future mother significantly weakens the blood flow in the vessels of the placenta, thereby reducing the supply of food to the fetus. Spontaneous abortion, increased vaginal bleeding are common side effects of tobacco at an early stage.

The predilection for cigarettes at the beginning of gestation is fraught with the possibility of developing mutations in the newborn - "wolf mouth" or "hare lip". The formation of the sky takes place just between the sixth and eighth weeks.

If you did not know about the life that started in you and continued to smoke, then get rid of the bad habit should be as soon as possible. Ideally - do not get acquainted with cigarettes at all or give up addiction before the moment of conception.

Smoking in the first days of pregnancy

Smoking, even passive, primarily affects the woman's body negatively, worsening the state of the lungs and the immune system. Women-smokers are most susceptible to respiratory diseases, which is absolutely not necessary in pregnancy.

It is believed that in the first days after conception there is no connection between the mother and the embryo. Therefore, smoking in the first days of pregnancy does not harm the future child. As a rule, most mothers learn about their new situation after two, or even five weeks after conception, continuing to smoke.

If you can not lead a completely healthy lifestyle, then your blood contains nicotine, which has a negative effect on your organs and systems. The number of cigarettes a day smoked is also important.

Gynecologists recommend to get rid of addiction to tobacco as quickly as possible, in order to avoid complications with intrauterine development of the baby and complications during pregnancy, as well as during the period of labor.

Smoking in the first weeks of pregnancy

Many women-smokers often, without knowing about pregnancy, continue to smoke their dose of nicotine. It is important to immediately abandon the negative predilection, after confirming the fact of conception.

The placenta becomes home to a future life for all nine months, providing the child with everything necessary for full development - oxygen, nutrient media, protective antibodies. The formation of placental tissue is completed by the end of the twelfth week after conception, and smoking during the first weeks of pregnancy introduces various disturbances into the natural process. The embryo suffers from oxygen hunger, is poisoned by tobacco toxins.

Smoking at the 5th week of pregnancy

In the fifth week of pregnancy there is active fetal development: 

  • the division of cells into groups for the formation of various organs; 
  • origin of the prototype of the future nervous system (neural tube); 
  • laying the most complex organ - the brain; 
  • the heart begins to beat; 
  • the circulatory system develops.

In the images, the embryo resembles a shrimp with rudiments of bronchi, thyroid and pancreas, liver, kidneys and adrenal glands.

From the above it becomes clear that smoking at the 5th week of pregnancy is more than an irresponsible act. The future mother should remember that the beginning of gestation is especially dangerous with the possibility of miscarriage. A woman should carefully monitor her health: take vitamins, eat properly, do not overcool and do not overheat, forget about medications and bad habits.

Refusal of tobacco and alcohol will save your baby from changes in the structure of DNA and congenital malformations.

The hormonal peak falls just on the fifth week after conception. The embryo already has a connection with the mother's organism through the umbilical cord and draws on vital resources thanks to the nutrition and oxygen coming from the mother.

Smoking during pregnancy promotes penetration of poisonous tobacco smoke to the baby, causing suffocation and severe intoxication. Such babies after birth have nicotine dependence, they may have a stop of breathing and spontaneous death.

During this period there is active formation of the placenta, and the harmful addiction of the mother can disrupt the natural physiological process. Consequences can be deplorable - changes in the circulatory system of the placenta, its early detachment, bleeding and spontaneous abortion.

Smoking at 6 weeks gestation

In the sixth week the kid resembles a tadpole with dark dots in the places of future eyes and nostrils. Begin to appear outlines of limbs and cavities in place of the ears. Ultrasound catches the embryonic heartbeat, and the blood begins to circulate in the developing body.

What harms smoking at 6 weeks of pregnancy? Imagine an enclosed space where about four thousand toxic components are concentrated. A threat to the future baby is borne by tobacco smoke, containing: 

  • Narrowing blood vessels nicotine; 
  • carbon that causes oxygen deficiency; 
  • a strong carcinogen - benzene; 
  • hydrogen cyanide used for herb rats; 
  • formaldehyde.

And now realize that a closed space is your womb with a growing new life, which is forced to absorb all the poisonous vapors. The saddest thing is that in this situation the kid simply has no choice.

Smoking at week 8 of pregnancy

Moms should realize that smoking at the 8th week of pregnancy can cause pathology in the formation of the nasopharynx of the baby. Many people have heard about such problems as "hare's lip" and "wolf's mouth", but few know that such congenital deformities are solved by complex surgical manipulations. Therefore, mom-smokers should not continue to seek excuses, and it is recommended to get rid of nicotine addiction.

Smoking during pregnancy deprives the embryo of enough oxygen, causes dysfunction of the mother's circulatory system. These facts give rise to changes in the child's mental development, often leading to Down's syndrome after birth.

Smoking at 10 weeks of pregnancy

Most of the poisons from tobacco smoke harm the embryo at the first stage of development, when all the vital organs and systems are laid. A crumb inside the mother's womb experiences a double dose of nicotine intoxication, and small and tender nascent organs are not able to withstand the harmful smoke.

That's born weak, susceptible to all kinds of sores babies with congenital pathologies. No wonder some gynecologists equate smoking at the 10th week of pregnancy to a crime. Increased risk of spontaneous death of an infant, and the chances of reproducing a healthy baby to the world tend to zero.

At the end of the tenth week of gestation, the embryo passes into the stage of the fetus, when its active growth begins. Despite the fact that the risk of congenital malformations is maximal in the first nine weeks of development, smoking at the 10th week of pregnancy can adversely affect the further formation of the internal organs of the baby. The formation of the nervous system continues with the development of reflexes (movement of the lips, sucking reflex). The liver, kidneys, brain, diaphragm are also at the stage of improving their functionality.

Mom's smoking during pregnancy causes irreparable physiological, mental harm to the health of the future baby. After birth, a child may show sick lungs, heart disease, a backwardness in intellectual development, mental disorders.

Smoking at 12 weeks gestation

The twelfth week ends the first trimester of gestation. There has already been a laying of all organs in the fetus, the brain is practically formed. The skeleton of the child reaches the phase of ossification, characterized by the formation of bone substance. At this stage of the intrauterine development, the thymus gland (thymus) actively functions, contributing to the accumulation of T-lymphocytes (in the future it is necessary to fight the infection), and the thyroid gland synthesizing iodotyrosine and regulating the metabolic processes. The development and growth of tissues under the influence of hormones of the thyroid gland continues.

Smoking at the 12th week of pregnancy will be completely inappropriate, since before the 14th week there is an active laying of the vital systems of the baby's body. The effect of nicotine reflected primarily on the natural development of organs. Carcinogens contained in cigarettes can cause physical anomalies and mental problems. There is a high probability of miscarriage as a result of placental rejection due to abnormalities in the circulatory system of the placenta.

Smoking at week 16 of pregnancy

The sixteenth week of gestation is the accelerated formation of neuronal neurons, which began to form since the fifth week. Now every five thousand new cells appear every second. The pituitary gland is included in the work. At the sixteenth week begins to produce hemoglobin, to the hematopoietic function of the liver is added digestive.

Breathing continues through the umbilical cord, so smoking at the 16th week of pregnancy does not bode well, except for regular problems.

Each stage of intrauterine development is unique, created by nature to bookmark or improve the functions of the systems of a new organism. Your baby is already quite active: able to build faces, spit, makes swallowing and sucking movements, turns his head. On ultrasound, you can capture his indignation at the incoming nicotine poison - grimaces, squeezing the body.

Smoking at week 18 of pregnancy

At the end of eighteen weeks, the brain continues to form, the fat tissue in the child is formed. The immune system is gaining strength, which began to develop substances that help fight viruses and infection. The baby in the tummy of the mother catches the penetrating light and sound vibrations.

If you continue smoking during the 18th week of pregnancy and can not cope with yourself, the child has a colossal intoxication from nicotine. A pernicious habit is a factor that increases the risk of congenital pathologies.

Elimination of nicotine dependence in smokers with experience, ideally, should occur by the twelfth week of embryo development. Help can maternal instinct, will power or spontaneous rejection of addiction.

Smoking at 23 weeks of pregnancy

The twenty-third week is the period of the onset of the formation of the fat layer in the embryo and active growth. The development of the blood vessels of the lungs speaks of preparing them for respiratory function. The baby manifests respiratory movements, but there is no opening of the lungs. In the respiratory system of the baby gets a small amount of amniotic fluid, not causing any harm and quickly absorbed. Breathing "training" includes about sixty movements with a break from thirty to sixty minutes. This process is disturbed by smoking at the 23rd week of pregnancy, which causes hypoxia. There is an opinion that a cigarette smoked by a mother causes a baby not to breathe until half an hour.

Smoking during pregnancy during the sixth month provokes premature birth. The care of such a newborn is a complex process and is characterized by a high probability of infant death. Complications of smokers may be a stillborn child, detachment of the placenta with heavy bleeding.

Smoking at the 30th week of pregnancy

Doctors believe that getting rid of the addiction to tobacco even at the thirtieth week of gestation will help the baby gain the necessary weight. During this period of development, a fat layer arises that causes the accumulation of calcium, iron, protein, antibodies. The child reveals the periods of sleep and wakefulness, as well as the laying of features in the nervous system and mental state.

Smoking at the 30th week of pregnancy often causes an early detachment of the placenta, leading to premature labor. These complications are resolved by surgical intervention and are dangerous for possible fetal death. At this stage, nicotine provokes a state of hypotrophy - the discrepancy between the physical development of the baby's organs during pregnancy.

Smoking at 33 weeks gestation

Thirty-third week of pregnancy brings a long-awaited event to the appearance of a baby. Mom-smokers should know that at this moment the formation of pulmonary alveoli is taking place, and the liver acquires pronounced lobes and its cells are lined up in a strict order that determines the performance of important physiological functions by the main chemical laboratory of the organism. In the pancreas, the moment of independent insulin production comes. Completed "adjustment" of all the internal organs of the baby.

It becomes clear that smoking at 33 weeks of pregnancy will not bring anything good to the child. Nicotine intoxication, inadequate oxygen and nutrient intake, developmental delay, organ dysfunction, congenital pathologies are all consequences of tobacco smoke.

Placental abruption and premature birth are also the result of smoking during pregnancy at week 33. This pathological condition carries a serious threat to the life of the baby and is fraught with severe blood loss to the mother.

Smoking in the first month of pregnancy

The first months after conception are characterized by the greatest vulnerability of the embryo, as the origin of all the basic systems of the future baby.

As a rule, a woman learns about pregnancy not earlier than four to five weeks. The organism is waiting for a hormonal shake, eating habits change, emotional instability and a number of physiological changes (vaginal discharge, nipple swelling, nausea, etc.) are observed. Some women experience during this period aversion to the smoke of cigarettes. But it also happens that the processes of restructuring does not affect the desire to make a couple of puffs.

Very dangerous is considered smoking in the first month of pregnancy because of the threat of miscarriage. The embryo does not receive enough oxygen, the process of physiological formation of organs and systems is disrupted. Passive inhalation of tobacco smoke is no less harmful, so teach your household to go "smoke" on the air.

Smoking at 5 months of pregnancy

By the fifth month of intrauterine development, the baby is already well developed limbs, and he is happy to check them in motion. Fetal activity is replaced by periods of calm. The baby is able to cough and hiccup, that future mothers are able to catch. The child in the womb accumulates brown fat, which allows to keep the body temperature constant. Fat layer under the skin provides the baby with protection from hypothermia and substances involved in vital processes. In the skin, sweat glands are formed.

Mom's smoking at 5 months of pregnancy is capable of producing a colossal malfunction in subtle natural processes. With insufficient intake of oxygen due to the action of nicotine toxins, the natural rhythm of development is violated.

At this time, it is absolutely undesirable to premature birth, which can provoke active tobacco abuse. The kid at five months is completely unprepared for a meeting with the outside world, and his chances of survival are negligible.

Smoking at 6 months of pregnancy

The fetus in the sixth month of development has a thin body, devoid of fatty deposits, with developed limbs. Sweat glands begin to form in the skin, eyes are still closed. This period is also characterized by the formation of papillae in the tongue, but to distinguish the taste notes baby learn after reaching the twenty-eighth week.

Wise nature conceived the consistent formation of a new life with a bookmark, development and can be said to "ripen" the bodies. Each stage of gestation is the subtlest physiological process, to make negative changes in which smoking during pregnancy can. The internal systems of the baby are so easily vulnerable, and nicotine poison freely penetrates the placental barrier.

The baby is already developed facial expressions, and he reacts negatively to maternal smoking on the 6th month of pregnancy, which was possible to capture the doctors with ultrasound scanning. Some babies make faces, grimace, even breathless from Mama's only thoughts about a cigarette.

Smoking at 8 months of pregnancy

Systematic smoking at 8 months of pregnancy increases the risk of possible complications of this period - uterine bleeding, prenatal condition, miscarriage, etc. Maternal predilection for cigarettes affects the development of the baby in her bosom. Among the pathologies in the baby are isolated - low weight, cases of spontaneous death in the first days of life after birth.

When the mother takes another puff, the baby, who is in a closed and smoke-filled space, coughs and chokes, his heart starts beating more often, and the lack of oxygen deprives him of the opportunity to fully develop until he is born.

Smoking at 9 months of pregnancy

The last month of gestation is preparatory, when the child adds about 250 g per week and descends lower into the pelvic cavity. The first training fights appear, short and painless. During this period, it becomes easier for a woman to breathe.

Smoking at 9 months of pregnancy is characterized by such complications: 

  • the placenta detachment and severe bleeding, which is an indication for cesarean; 
  • possible exacerbation of hypertension; 
  • late toxicosis; 
  • premature labor; 
  • the risk of a stillborn baby increases.

Smoking in the last month of pregnancy

The increase in the number of future mothers, smokers, sadly, happens in all countries. An increase in the number of unmarried women, worsening social conditions are the causes of abuse of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Moreover, expectant mothers do not stop warnings about a possible miscarriage or complications during pregnancy.

Smoking last month of pregnancy disrupts the peripheral blood supply of a woman, which in turn causes hypoxia in the baby (lack of oxygen). For this reason, the fetus may be underdeveloped, the risk of a premature baby being increased.

Carcinogens of tobacco smoke have a pathological effect on the psyche of the unborn child. The fact is that cigarette toxins provoke an insufficient supply of blood to the brain of the embryo. So there are anomalies of the nervous system and mental disorders. The results of some studies indicate a link between smoking during pregnancy and Down's syndrome in a child after birth.

Heart defects, nasopharyngeal defects, inguinal hernia, strabismus are the list of common problems of infants whose mothers were addicted to smoking during the gestation process.

Smoking in the first trimester of pregnancy

X-rays, exposure to alcohol, taking medications and smoking in the first trimester of pregnancy cause irreparable harm to the baby. In order to understand what this is connected with, it is necessary to recall the stages of intrauterine child formation.

Within the first month begins the laying of the heart, lungs, the brain and the formation of the umbilical cord, through which the supply of food and the withdrawal of vital activity occurs. The second month is characterized by the formation of limbs and the growth of the brain. The stomach, the liver develop, the development of other organs is noted. In the third month the baby starts to move, which is not felt at all because of the low weight (about 30g) and the size (about 9cm). This stage - the formation of the reproductive system.

It will be unnecessary to remind you of the importance of the ongoing processes, the ban on smoking during pregnancy, a balanced diet, the fulfillment of all prescriptions of the doctor and the use of vitamins.

Smoking in the second trimester of pregnancy

The fourth month of gestation is the period of active intrauterine growth of the baby. The navel of the navel increases and thickens to get more blood and nutrition. During the period of the fourth and fifth month, there will be an increase in weight of about two kilograms. The future mother will begin to feel the first stirring in the abdomen. In the sixth month, even more nutrients are needed, so a woman should be balanced and eat regularly.

Smoking in the second trimester of pregnancy, when the placenta is fully formed and functions, provokes an insufficient supply of oxygen to the baby. This contributes to the development of chronic or acute hypoxia, which violates the natural growth and development of the baby. Early maturation of the placenta, changes in its shape and thinning of the wall may occur. For these reasons, there is a threat of spontaneous birth and death of the baby.

Smoking in the third trimester of pregnancy

Smoking during pregnancy represents a risk, both for the future mother and baby. A smoked cigarette leads to spasmodic vascularization in the circulatory system of the placenta, which causes oxygen starvation of the fetus. Therefore, even passive smoking at the last stage of the development of the baby causes him irreparable harm. Children of mothers-smokers are subject to obesity, colds, allergic reactions, diabetes.

Smoking in the third trimester of pregnancy can provoke early generic activity as a result of detachment of the placenta. Rejection of the placenta from the walls of the uterus should occur only after childbirth, so premature retreatment of the placenta is a pathology that creates a threat to the life of the baby. This condition is determined by bleeding, worsening the condition of a woman.

Another trouble for smokers at long term is gestosis, which also causes a number of complications due to changes in the vascular system of the placenta - embryonic developmental disorders, premature labor.

Smoking in late pregnancy

Doctors say that it is always better to forget about smoking at any gestation period than to continue to persist in your unfavorable predilection. The refusal of tobacco even in the last month can reduce the risk of possible complications in a woman and her child.

What is fraught with smoking in late pregnancy? First of all, fetal hypotrophy, which manifests itself as a discrepancy between the characteristics of physical development and the period of gestation. Vascular spasms leading to a decrease in blood flow to the uterus and restriction of nutrients to the baby cause a hypotrophy.

The ingress of carbon monoxide into the maternal organism is a factor that causes oxygen starvation in a child. Newborns with such a syndrome lag behind in weight, hardly recruit it and require intensive care and special care.

Smoking during pregnancy, suitable for its completion, causes a delay in the formation of individual organs in the baby - the liver, kidneys, brain. Such mothers increase the likelihood of stillbirths or deaths during the first weeks of life. Medical workers are familiar with the syndrome of sudden child death, when a lethal outcome occurs for no apparent reason, often in a dream.

Enjoying nicotine before close birth often provokes a gestosis, the development of which before eclampsia threatens the life of the mother and baby. Gestosis is characterized by changes in the vascular system of the placenta, which causes inhibition of fetal development, placental abruption, provoking premature labor.

Effects of smoking during pregnancy

To anticipate all negative phenomena from active and passive smoking during gestation is quite difficult, as some of the pathologies in the child manifest themselves years later.

Smoking four cigarettes every day is already a serious threat in the form of premature labor. Smoking during pregnancy at times increases the risk factors for perinatal mortality.

In children with increasing intensity of maternal smoking, there is a decrease in the length of the body, the circumference of the head, and the size of the shoulder girdle. The effects of smoking during pregnancy extend to stagnant processes in the physical, intellectual and emotional development. Children whose mothers smoked in the position are most prone to bronchitis and pneumonia.

Severe anomalies in infants of the congenital type that develop when a mother smokes include: 

  • defects in the development of the neural tube (dysraphism);
  • heart disease; 
  • disorders in the formation of the nasopharynx; 
  • inguinal hernia; 
  • strabismus; 
  • anomalies in mental development.

Tobacco abuse has an effect on the appearance of trisomy (Down's disease).

trusted-source[12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17]

Pregnancy and smoking: how to quit?

Incompatible concepts - pregnancy and smoking. How to quit a addiction? It turns out not so difficult. If the first twenty-four hours lasted, it means - they practically won. It remains to control yourself when meeting with friends, in moments of nervous tension, overwhelmed boredom, etc.

Ladies, for whom the daily norm was more than ten cigarettes a day, to part with smoking is recommended not abruptly. Pregnancy is stress for the body, and changes in the established way of life, which include smoking, can add stress to the physical and emotional state. The rapid refusal of tobacco can reduce heart contractions and activate the contractile ability of muscles, which is fraught with spontaneous termination of pregnancy. Therefore, if you are a smoker with experience, stretch the process of "withdrawal" from cigarettes in time (approximately three weeks). Daily reduce the amount of tobacco and develop the habit of not having to smoke a cigarette to the end - quenched nicotine hunger with a couple of puffs and enough.

Passive smoking during pregnancy

Toxins from cigarettes enter the human body through tobacco smoke. The smoker itself absorbs no more than 20% of harmful substances, the rest of the amount of carcinogens it releases into the surrounding air, poisoning random passers-by. One hour of passive smoking is enough to get a nicotine dose that provokes diseases of the lungs and cardiovascular system, which develops the origin of cancer tissues.

The factor that affects premature labor and a lack of oxygen in the fetus is passive smoking during pregnancy. Penetration of cigarette smoke to the fetus increases the risk of developing pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma after birth. Children, whose mothers during pregnancy involuntarily inhaled tobacco smoke, are more likely to suffer from allergies, have weakened immunity.

Smoking cannabis or marijuana during pregnancy

Marijuana is a smoking mixture from the dried plant "Cannabis sativa" with the main chemical component - delta-9-hydrocannabinol, which contributes to the change of consciousness.

Hash - a substance produced by pressing cannabis herb, with the main ingredient - delta-9-tetra-hydrocannabinol. According to the psychoactive effect, hashish is considered a stronger remedy than marijuana.

However, the effect of psychotropic products is similar: the increase in heart rate, the weakening of the tone and the expansion of the bronchi, redness of the eyes. Narcotic substances act on "pleasure centers" in the human brain, leading to a temporary sense of euphoria. The payoff will appear in the form of memory problems, coordination of movements, toxic psychosis and other changes.

Smoking hashish during pregnancy often provokes prolonged childbirth. The negative influence of the substance on the baby concerns slow growth and development, reduction of reproductive functions in adulthood, problems with the nervous system and vision.

Studies have shown that children of mothers who prefer smoking marijuana during pregnancy exhibit distorted reactions with visual stimuli, have an increase in tremor (active limb movement as a result of muscle contractions), are screamers. All these facts can indicate the presence of problems in the nervous system.

The consequences of marijuana for growing up children and school children indicated: 

  • behavioral disorders;
  • decrease of language perception; 
  • difficulty with concentration of attention; 
  • weakness of memory and difficulties in solving visual problems.

Smoking and alcohol during pregnancy

Smoking and alcohol during pregnancy represent an explosive mixture, a double threat to the life and health of the child.

Abuse of alcohol increases the likelihood of various kinds of abnormalities in the baby. Alcohol, penetrated to the fetus, remains in the fetus twice as long as in the mother's blood. Even moderate consumption of alcohol during pregnancy will not guarantee the absence of mental, physical anomalies in the newborn.

Smoking during pregnancy and drinking are factors of spontaneous abortion, premature birth and complications in the course of labor.

Simultaneous effects of ethanol, acetaldehyde and nicotine on the embryo, especially in the early stages, can disrupt the synthesis of proteins and lead to irreparable changes in DNA, causing brain pathology.

Smoking during pregnancy is a deliberate implantation of one's own will, the emerging new personality; the same as offering a child a cigarette or a pile of vodka. If you still do not understand what the kid is inside of you with tobacco smoke, look around you, find in the nearest environment a person who does not tolerate a cigarette smog, and watch it during your tightening. Most likely the poor guy will hold his breath for a while, his face will distort in a grimace, he will start waving his hands near his nose, expressing his displeasure in every possible way. But this person has a choice - he can move away from you, which your future child can not do.

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