What is the Harmful Effect on the Fetus From the Mother Smoking Cigarettes?
Smoking has a negative effect on nearly every part of the body, including the reproductive system. Conceiving children is harder for smokers. Pregnant women who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke are causing damage to the fetus.
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Complications
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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention cites the Surgeon General's 2004 report that women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have pregnancy complications, premature and stillborn births, and babies with low birth weight or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Effects
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The Surgeon General reports that nicotine may constrict blood vessels in the umbilical cord and uterus, decreasing the amount of blood in the fetal cardiovascular system and the amount of oxygen the fetus receives.
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Abnormalities
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A study in the March 9 Journal of the American Medical Association showed fetuses of smokers are over three times more likely to have genetic abnormalities.
Expert Insight
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Researchers at the American Heart Association's 2006 Scientific Sessions reported women who smoke in pregnancy are more likely to have babies with congenital heart defects.
Secondhand Smoke
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A University of Pittsburgh study published in BMC Pediatrics showed genetic mutations in fetuses of women exposed to secondhand smoke that led to leukemia and lymphoma.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Gideon
