Drugs During Pregnancy: Cigarettes

The Pregnancy HelpDesk

Cigarettes:

If you are planning to become pregnant, now would be a great time to stop smoking cigarettes. Women who smoke are usually smoking because they are anxious or nervous. Once you get pregnant, you may be unable to stop because of the extra stress during that time. You may even smoke more during pregnancy.

If you are already pregnant, make sure you try to quit or at least cut down on how many you smoke during each day.

Cigarettes may cause the following things:

Increased risk of a miscarriage (see related topics below)

Low birth weight (increased by 82%)

Death (before or right after birth) increase by 26%

Premature Labor (increase risk by 2 ½ times) (see related topics)

Infants are more likely to develop health problems in the first couple of months after they are born. (Like respiratory problems and ear infections)

Cigarette smoke has been linked to an increase risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) (see related topics)

Newborns may have a lower Apgar score

Increase risk for ectopic pregnancies (see related topics)

Resources on the internet to help you stop smoking:

Stop Smoking