Stephen Braddock

What are the effects of smoking on a baby in utero?

In every pregnancy, a woman starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a baby with a birth defect. This is called her background risk. Some studies suggest that cigarette smoking during pregnancy may increase the chance of an oral cleft in the baby, especially if oral clefts run in the family. An oral cleft occurs when the lip or palate (roof of the mouth) does not fully close as it should during the baby’s development. Cigarette smoking is also associated with a higher chance of premature delivery, placental problems, lower birth weight, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Premature delivery is a birth before 37 weeks. The more a woman smokes, the greater her chance for a premature delivery and the earlier the baby may be born. A baby born too early has a higher chance for health problems and may need to stay in the hospital longer, possibly in an intensive care unit. Low birth weight can also make it harder for the baby to recover from serious health problems. Women who stop smoking early in pregnancy can lower their chance of having a baby with low birth weight. Smoking during pregnancy is also linked to serious problems with the placenta (the organ that connects the developing baby to the mother). These problems include placenta previa (placenta blocks the birth canal) and placental abruption (placenta breaks away from the uterine wall early). These conditions can cause vaginal bleeding and can be life threatening to the mother or result in loss of the pregnancy. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy may also lead to lung problems for the baby. A higher chance of asthma, bronchitis and respiratory infections during childhood has been found. More information like this can be found for free at: mothertobaby.org READ MORE