Pregnancy is a time when it is advisable to take care of your health with more attention. The decisions we make can have a big impact on our child’s health, which is why we choose meals more carefully and take care of a healthy lifestyle. One of the issues is giving up certain addictions. Most women give up smoking during pregnancy because they are aware of the consequences it brings.
Despite this, still almost 30% of smoking mothers-to-be poison the bodies of their unborn children and do not quit smoking. What are the consequences of doing so? Very unpleasant and dangerous for the fetus.
- During a puff of smoke, the child’s heart rate increases from 130 to 180 beats per minute.
- The fetus is poisoned, exposed to carcinogenic substances.
- In addition, it receives 25% less oxygen and half as much nutrients from the smoking mother.
- This can lead to hypoxia, which will contribute to abnormalities in the development of the baby.
- This often leads to malnutrition of the newborn, who is up to 200 or 300 grams smaller than his peers whose parents do not smoke.
What causes smoking during pregnancy? What are the main risks:
- May lead to birth defects in the fetus
- It weakens the child, children of mothers who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have cardiovascular disorders, metabolism, breathing problems, because the lungs no longer function as well as they should,
- Causes an increased risk of sudden death of the child (according to doctors, cot death is often associated with this addiction),
- The mother must take into account the risk of: premature detachment of the placenta and rupture of the membranes, miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth.
Maternal instinct and addiction
More interestingly, most women can easily go without smoking for up to a year, which is the length of pregnancy and breastfeeding. The reason for this may be the maternal instinct that protects the baby’s health.
Smoking mother’s milk contains nicotine and other poisons, has less vitamin C, nutrients, and the baby’s heart beats faster than it should. Smoking around offspring is also a big mistake – their immune system is weaker, mucous membranes are dry and irritated, so you should absolutely avoid exposing your child to being a passive smoker.
It would be ideal to quit smoking at the time of conception, and it is necessary to give up smoking at the beginning of pregnancy.