Why is it harmful to smoke during pregnancy?
A baby in the womb gets everything from its mother. It obtains nourishment and oxygen through the placenta and umbilical cord. If the mother smokes, the foetus will also be exposed to the toxins (poisons) present in tobacco smoke.

In pregnancy, a woman is creating a new life, but ultimately, it is her decision whether or not to continue smoking. However, she should think seriously about the fact that she is not only making this decision for herself, but also on behalf of her unborn child who is absolutely dependent on her.

Becoming pregnant can be powerful motivation to finally give up smoking - for the mother's sake as well as for her child's.

What changes does smoking cause in the body?
When a person smokes, some of the oxygen in their blood is replaced by carbon monoxide. If a pregnant woman smokes, her blood and therefore her child's blood will contain less oxygen than normal.

The particles in tobacco smoke contain different toxic substances that change the blood's ability to work in a healthy and normal manner. This can affect the placenta which feeds the baby.

How smoking harms the child before it is born
Babies born to mothers who smoke:

are more likely to be born prematurely and with a low birth-weight.

have a birth weight on average 200g (7oz) less than those born to non-smokers.

are twice as likely to die from cot death. There seems to be a direct link between cot death and parents' (both mother and father) smoking.

are ill more frequently than non-smokers' children. They go to the doctor far more often and are taken to hospital far more often than the children of non-smokers.

get painful diseases such as inflammation of the middle ear and asthmatic bronchitis more frequently in early childhood.

are more likely to become smokers themselves in later years.

In addition, pregnant women who smoke increase their risk of early miscarriage. In later pregnancy, smoking mothers are at increased risk of the baby's afterbirth (placenta) coming away from the womb before the baby is born (placental abruption). This may cause the baby to be born prematurely, starved of oxygen or even to die in the womb (stillborn).

How to stop smoking
It is never too late to stop smoking. Each cigarette you decide not to smoke will help you live longer. Every cigarette you don't smoke will help your baby. The damage that tobacco smoke has caused can be reversed. Your body is a living organism that can heal itself.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) should not ideally be used by pregnant women as an aid to stopping smoking. However, it is recognised that for the heaviest smokers who are unable to give up using willpower alone, NRT will deliver less nicotine (and none of the other potentially disease-causing agents) than would be obtained from cigarettes. You should use NRT while pregnant only after carefully discussing all the risks and benefits with your doctor.

Evidence shows that specific counselling by qualified health professionals can double quit rates for pregnant women.

Giving up smoking is the single most important thing a woman can do to improve her own and her baby's health. Pregnant women can get support and advice about stopping smoking from their midwife, antenatal clinic or GP.

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How to give up smoking

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