Discuss the effects of tobacco use in the pregnant woman and its effects on health of the newborn

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, an estimated 12 percent of pregnant women in the United States smoke. Smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco at any time exert harmful effects, and pregnancy dramatically magnifies the hazards of these practices. Smoking restricts the blood supply to the growing fetus and thus limits oxygen and nutrient delivery and waste removal. A mother who smokes is more likely to have a complicated birth and a low-birthweight infant. Indeed, of all preventable causes of low birthweight in the United States, smoking is at the top of the list. Although most infants born to cigarette smokers are low birthweight, some are not, suggesting that the effect of smoking on birthweight also depends, in part, on genes involved in the metabolism of smoking toxins.

In addition to contributing to low birthweight, smoking interferes with heart and lung growth and arterial structure and function; consequently, it increases the risks of heart defects, poor lung function, respiratory infections, and childhood asthma. It can also cause death in an otherwise healthy fetus or newborn. A positive relationship exists between sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and both cigarette smoking during pregnancy and postnatal exposure to passive smoke. Smoking during pregnancy may reduce brain size and impair the intellectual and behavioral development of the child later in life.

Alternatives to smoking—such as using snuff or chewing tobacco—are not safe during pregnancy. The safety and effectiveness of nicotine-replacement patches has not been determined, and therefore this therapy cannot be recommended at this time. Any woman who uses nicotine in any form and is considering pregnancy or who is already pregnant needs to quit. Avoiding secondhand smoke is also advised. Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are more likely to experience complications such as stillbirth and the birth of an infant with congenital malformations.