5 Dangers of Smoking while Pregnant

Remember, there is no such thing as a safe amount of smoking. Every puff of a cigarette releases harmful chemicals that effect both the baby and the mother. Smoking anytime during the pregnancy is harmful.

Quit Smoking before you are pregnant and have started planning a pregnancy or if you haven't done that quit as soon as possible during pregnancy.

Second hand smoking is as dangerous as first hand smoking; and nicotine in E-Cigarette are equally harmful for baby.

The danger of smoking during pregnancy includes a higher incidence risk of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, preterm birth and placental abruption, low birth weight babies and increased rate of neonatal mobility and mortality, congenital malformations. There is an increased chance of visual and hearing impairment, mental disability, cerebral palsy and sudden infant death syndrome.

The nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar in cigarette are responsible for these harmful effects. Newer studies shown that in utero exposure to smoking also has long term neonatal adverse outcomes such as impaired neurological development, endocrine dysfunction and oncogenesis. These continue to manifest in early as well as late childhood. Post- Delivery harmful effects on baby's health are sudden infant death syndrome, attention deficit hyper activity

( With inputs from IANS )