Quit Smoking for Your Baby’s Sake
You know that smoking isn’t good for you, but did you know that if you’re pregnant, it isn’t good for your baby either? A mother who smokes is much more likely to have a baby with a low birth weight— less than 5.5 pounds.
The effects of nicotine. Smoking can harm all stages of pregnancy. It makes trying to have a baby more difficult and may lead to complications during pregnancy and delivery. Nicotine constricts the blood vessels in the umbilical cord and womb, limiting the baby’s oxygen supply. Smoking also prevents the unborn child from getting important nourishment.
Born too soon. A baby whose mother smokes may die before birth or be born prematurely. Babies born to women who smoke also have less muscle mass and more fat than those born to nonsmokers. An increased risk for SIDS. Smoking can affect a baby’s health even after he or she is born. If a woman smokes before and after birth, her child has three to four times the risk of dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This is the unexplainable death of a child younger than age 1.
Let Us Help You Quit
If you’re pregnant or planning to
become pregnant, the sooner you
quit smoking, the healthier you and
your baby will be. We can help with
our free quit-smoking program, in
which you can talk with a trained quitting
specialist. If you’re in Ohio, you
can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW