Changing Smoking to Pregnancy

What are the effect of smoking in pregnancy?

Cigarette poisons reach your baby - They travel in the blood and cross the placenta.

Pregnancy may be cut short  - Early labor means a premature baby who may struggle to survive.

Lungs and airways are damaged - Damage to organs means the body cannot work so well.

Damage is hard to see - It does not show on ultra-sound scans or with our eyes. It shows as higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS (cot death), pneumonia, asthma, glue ear, etc.

Blood flow is slowed - Nicotine squeezes the blood vessels so less blood gets through.

Food and oxygen are cut back - This stunts growth and stifles development.


What are the benefits when you quit smoking?


Safer start to life - Safety goes up as smoking comes down. The less both parents smoke the more they protect their baby.

Safer choices - Your baby is safer if parents are free from tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and other drugs.

Better breastfeeding - Smokefree breastmilk means faster let-down, better supply and better nutrition for babies.

Proud feelings - Proud feelings replace guilt as you enjoy more freedom in your life.

Dads share responsibility - Babies of smokefree fathers are a safer weight at birth and have less risk of SIDS (cot death)

More money - Money goes up as smoking comes down e.g. ten smokes less a day in pregnancy leaves more than $1,400 for other things.

Source:
New Zealand - Ministry of Health