How Does Cigarette Smoke Affect Growth?

Immediate Effects

Within 10 seconds of that first puff, nicotine reaches the brain of the smoker and begins to travel silently through the body, bringing with it several toxic ingredients. Cigarette smoke contains over 4,700 chemical compounds, including 60 known carcinogens, and these chemicals begin work on human cells immediately upon entering the body.
The nicotine in a cigarette affects the nervous system by binding to acetylcholine receptors and causing the body to release several chemicals. These chemicals, in turn, affect other body systems, such as the cardiovascular system. The heart rate increases by 10 to 20 beats per minute, the blood pressure increases by 5 to 10 mm and heart contractions become stronger. In the digestive system, stomach contractions weaken while salivation increases, causing some smokers to experience nausea and vomiting. In the respiratory system, smoking permanently damages the cilia, tiny hairs that clean out lungs by removing debris and mucus. In the endocrine system, smoking increases the release of some natural hormones, upsetting the balance and increasing the smoker's risk for cardiovascular disease.

Effects on Fetal Development

Smoking by pregnant women affects the growth of the unborn child. Most people now know that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy increases risk of complications including low birth weight, reduced lung function, and even stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). These complications result from decreased oxygen available to the fetus, which may be caused by nicotine's constriction of blood vessels of the uterus and umbilical cord. The 2004 Surgeon General's Report cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggests that nicotine may reduce the amount of blood in the unborn child's cardiovascular system. A 2005 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that babies of smokers also suffered structural chromosome damage at a level that could even lead to leukemia.

Effects on Wound Healing

Smoking also affects the growth of cells needed for healing. Research studies by the University of Hong Kong find that cigarette smoke inhibits healing of gastric ulcers, but they do not yet understand the exact mechanism of this process. Studies at the University of California, however, find that chemicals in the smoke inhibit growth, major vessel development, capillary plexus formation, and cell proliferation in CAMs and could contribute to problems in vascular development in human smokers. According to these studies, people who smoke cigarettes are more likely to suffer complications in recovering from wounds.

Effects on Height

Smoking appears to also affect human height, at least in teen smokers. Annals of Epidemiology published in March 2008 that boys who smoke while they are teenagers average 2.54 centimeters shorter than boys who do not smoke. However, the study determined that girls who smoked experienced no effect on height or weight.

Resources

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention
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