Premature Birth Due to Smoking
Smoking during pregnancy can cause premature birth, when the infant is born before 37 weeks gestation. Prematurity can cause serious health problems, long stays in the hospital and even death. Pregnant women are advised to stop smoking before conceiving or as soon as possible after getting pregnant.
Other People Are Reading
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Expert Insight
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A study conducted by the Karolinska Institute Danderyd Hospital, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in Stockholm, Sweden, confirmed that smoking increases the risk of very premature births in babies born less than 32 weeks gestation.
Statistics
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According to the March of Dimes, 10 percent of American women smoke while pregnant. If all women stopped smoking, there would be an 11 percent reduction in stillbirths and a 5 percent reduction in newborn deaths.
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Significance
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Smoking during pregnancy can cause placental defects and restricted growth of the fetus and increases the mother's risk of getting preeclampsia--all factors that have been implicated in premature births.
Secondhand Smoke
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Even exposure to secondhand smoke can cause lower birth weight and a greater risk for premature rupture of membranes (water breaking), according to the March of Dimes.
SIDS
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After birth, prenatal and post-birth exposure to cigarettes can increase an infant's chances of dying from SIDS by up to three and a half times, according to pediatrician Dr. Sears.
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