The Center for Disease Control reported some interesting things about Tobacco Use and Pregnancy in Mayof 2009. They made some comparisons between women who smoke and women who do not. Many women that we know have a difficult time getting pregnant. They reported that women who smoke before becoming pregnant are about twice as likely to experience a delay in conception and have about 30% higher odds of being infertile. This information might help many women who have this trouble if they use it to decide to quit. It was also reported that pregnancy complications of premature rupture of membrane, placental abruption, and placenta previa are twice as likely to occur if a woman smokes.
The CDC also gave some current information about babies born to women who smoke during pregnancy. They have about 30% higher chance of being born prematurely, and are more likely to be born with low birth weight (less than 5.5 lbs) which increases their risk for illness or death. They wrote that babies are 1.4 to 3 times more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS when the mother smokes.
The good news from the report was that "women who quit smoking before or early in pregnancy significantly reduce the risk of several of the adverse outcomes".
They also reported on the deadly exposure of secondhand smoke which causes premature death and disease in children and adults who do not smoke. "Pregnant women who are exposed to secondhand smoke have 20 percent higher odds of giving birth to a low birth weight baby than women who are not exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy."
Between 1999 and 2002, 58% of children between the ages of 3-19 years were exposed to secondhand smoke, so the effects are spread broadly over the population in the United States. "These children exposed to secondhand smoke are much more at risk for bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth."
I would encourage you to read more at www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/tobaccousepregnancy. If you smoke this information is difficult to hear but please remember the quote "women who quit smoking before or early in pregnancy significantly reduce the risk for several of the adverse outcomes". I hope that this information strengthens your resolve to quit for your baby.
