Smoking negatively impacts an individual’s health, and for women who are expecting and continue to smoke, they are not only jeopardizing their own health, but also the health of their unborn babies. In fact, approximately 18 per cent of cases of low birth weight can be attributed to prenatal smoking, which can also increase the risk of shortened gestation, respiratory distress syndrome and sudden infant death syndrome.
Despite the health risks associated with smoking while pregnant, an alarming 20-30 per cent of pregnant women continue to use tobacco products during pregnancy. It is important to encourage the women in our lives to quit smoking in order to protect our unborn children from its dangers, as the repercussions may be severe.
Nicotine can increase a baby’s heart rate and breathing movements. Even more unsettling is that babies born to mothers who smoke are more prone to perinatal complications, illnesses and death.