Monday, April 19, 2021

Effects of smoking on a pregnant woman

Smoking has a bad effect on health and if a woman is pregnant should not smoke as it can lead to many health risks not only to herself but also to the unborn child.  This is because cigarette contains harmful nicotine, carbon monoxide and cyanide and these are absorbed by the placenta and affects the baby and the mother would not even realize it.

Smoking affects the growth of the fetal because of the lessening of oxygen and nutrients transporting blood vessels; this would lead to low birth weight and the amount of cigarettes smoked by a woman smokes directly affects the weight of the child and placenta abnormalities are also common.  Studies have shown that smoking can cause genetic abnormalities including cleft lip or palate, respiratory problems which can cause asthma, etc.  

The health benefits of quitting is immense, this is mainly true and of great importance for pregnant women.  In spite of knowing the ill-effects, there are many pregnant woman who smoke; there are women who manage to quit smoking within the first trimester of pregnancy and such women increases their chances of having a normal baby.   Quitting is always very important for a pregnant woman as smoking will affect the unborn child and also the actual pregnancy as it causes hypertension, increased heart rate which can cause complications to the mother like miscarriages, premature birth, still births, etc.

Therefore, a pregnant woman should stop smoking not only for herself but also for the unborn baby so as to avoid any complications.  Do not be exposed to second-hand smoke as this also increases illnesses like cancer, heart disease, emphysema, allergies, asthma, and other health problems.  Hence quit smoking and lead a healthy smoke free life.