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Smoking While Pregnant


Smoking while pregnant is clearly a health hazard for both mother and baby and should make a pregnant woman sincerely question the decision to continue smoking during pregnancy.  Women who are pregnant should quit smoking immediately to protect against the numerous risks associated with pregnancy smoking. 



Reasons to Quit
Smoking while pregnant is associated with many preventable risk factors.  Potential risks for the baby include:
  • *  Risk of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage)
  • *  Low birth weight baby
  • *  Decreased birth length
  • *  Preterm delivery
  • *  Greater chance of apnea (breathing issues) after birth
  • *  Increased rates of SIDS
Smoking during pregnancy also greatly increases the mother’s chances of developing certain pregnancy-related diseases and conditions.  Included among the risks for the mother are: 
  • *  Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage)
  • *  Placental abruption
  • *  Placenta previa
  • *  Poor maternal circulation
Two of the above pregnancy conditions can be life threatening.  Placental abruption (in which the placenta detaches prematurely from the wall of the uterus) and placenta previa (in which the placenta attaches over the opening of the cervix) both increase the chances of maternal hemorrhage and death.  Quitting smoking lowers the risks of all associated diseases and conditions. 

How to Quit
Making the decision to quit smoking while pregnant is an important choice that will positively affect the rest of your pregnancy as well as your life and your baby’s life. Women should consider stopping smoking entirely, even after pregnancy, as this will likely add years to your life. It is vital that you use the right tools and techniques to make the road to smoking cessation a successful one.  Below are some of the common quitting techniques. 
  • Cold Turkey Method:  This is the least expensive and most common path to smoking cessation.  When one quits cold turkey, she quits without the help of any pharmaceutical or
  • therapeutic assistance.  The risk of relapsing into smoking behaviors is much greater with this method than any other. 
  • Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT):  Nicotine replacement therapy is controversial in pregnancy.  NRT is a program in which the addictive chemical in cigarettes, nicotine, is
  • provided to recovering smokers via a patch or an inhaler.  There is no scientific evidence that NRT is contraindicated in pregnancy, but care providers usually will not prescribe or recommend NRTs unless other methods do not work effectively. 
  • Pharmaceutical Assistance:  Zyban, a recently approved smoking cessation pill, reduces nicotine craving.  Using Zyban to help quit smoking is very effective, yet some doctors and midwives want to see all other options exhausted before they resort to prescribing a pill. 
  • Therapy:  Some women choose therapy, which occurs in many different forms.  Individual counseling, self-help groups, and group therapy top the list.  For assistance in finding a counselor or a group to attend, please see your care provider, who should be able to assist you with smoking cessation resources.
  •  
  • Combination of Methods:  Using a combination of these methods can be an effective way to beat the addiction to smoking. 

Avoiding Embarrassment
Because smoking in pregnancy has negative societal associations, many women are reluctant to discuss their smoking habit with their doctor or midwife.  Please, do not be embarrassed to ask for help with an addiction to nicotine.  Your care provider will be able to assist you with your desire to quit smoking.  With the right support team, choosing to quit smoking while pregnant can be a life-changing positive event. 





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