Smoking And Increased Health Risks
Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.1
- Estimates show smoking increases the risk:
- For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times1,6
- For stroke by 2 to 4 times1
- Of men developing lung cancer by 25 times1
- Of women developing lung cancer by 25.7 times1
Carrying A Baby To Full Term
If a baby is born extremely early, many other problems can arise. If a pregnant woman smokes tobacco while pregnant, the baby is more likely to be born too early. Being born too early leads to problems such as mental disabilities, learning, or behavioral problems as well.
A baby who is born early can also be born at an extremely low birth weight. Having a low birth weight can lead to many health problems. Low birth weights can also lead to delays in development, hearing or vision impairments, or cerebral palsy. A baby can even die if their weight is too low.
Testing For Carbon Monoxide
You will have a carbon monoxide test at your first antenatal appointment.
You blow into a machine which measures the carbon monoxide in your body and you get the results straightaway.
If the result is 4 or more your midwife will ask you whether you smoke, or whether you live in a house where someone else smokes. Its best to be honest, so your midwife can get you the right help.
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Miscarriage Stillbirth And Ectopic Pregnancy
Smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and ectopic pregnancy.
One study found that people who smoked while pregnant were 41% more likely to experience stillbirth when compared to people who didn’t smoke while pregnant.
Research strongly suggests that the risk of stillbirth is also increased if you are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy.
Encourage Patients To Reduce Their Intake Or Quit Smoking Altogether
Quitting smoking results in the greatest reduction in SUID risk but every cigarette that can be reduced counts. Mothers who smoked in the three months prior to pregnancy, and quit in the first trimester, still had a 50% greater chance of a SUID death compared to nonsmokers.
Screening pregnant women for smoking habits should begin at the very first prenatal visit, and should continue throughout the prenatal period. As physicians, we rely on self-reporting for substance use, including smoking, alcohol and drugs.
I advise patients of the risks of smoking risks to themselves, but, more importantly, risks to their unborn child. I tell them to consider all of those risks and to plan ahead when quitting. Patients need to change the environment that puts them at risk, recognize the triggers and make sure their loved ones are aware and supportive of their decision to quit. I counsel the significant other in the hopes that they will recognize the risks and will want to help. I tell them that once theyve given up smoking, they cannot just have one because they will find suddenly they are back to smoking a pack per day.
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Passive Smoking And Pregnancy
Even if you dont smoke, people smoking around you secondhand smoke or passive smoking can seriously affect you and your babys health. There are many risks to unborn babies exposed to passive smoking, some of which are:
- stillbirth
- poor health and growth of baby
- low birth weight.
To keep yourself and your baby safe, ask smokers to smoke outside the house or car and try to remain away from them while they are smoking .
How Does Secondhand Smoke Affect Pregnancy
Secondhand smoke is the combination of smoke from a burning cigarette and smoke exhaled by a smoker.
The smoke that burns off the end of a cigarette or cigar actually contains more harmful substances than the smoke inhaled by the smoker. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke.
If you are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke while pregnant, you will have an increased chance of having a stillbirth, a low-birth-weight baby, a baby with birth defects, and other complications of pregnancy.
Babies and children exposed to secondhand smoke may also develop asthma, allergies, and more frequent lung and ear infections.
Smoke travels through vents and under doors. Even very brief exposure can make breathing problems worse for babies. Here are some things you can do to reduce your babys exposure while youre pregnant and after your baby is born:
- Dont let anyone smoke in your house.
- Dont let anyone smoke in your car.
- In colder weather, encourage smokers to use the same jacket whenever they smoke outdoors, and preferably leave it outside.
- Keep your baby away from places where people smoke.
Continued
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How Does Nicotine Affect A Breastfeeding Baby
Despite the fact that the amount of nicotine transferred into breast milk is more than double the quantity transferred through the placenta during pregnancy, there is strong evidence that breast milk itself provides protection: the incidence of respiratory illness among infants who were breastfed by mothers who smoked …
What Are Some Tips To Help You Quit Smoking
Making a quit plan is a great way to help you quit smoking. A quit plan is a personalized plan that can help you get ready to quit. It also can help increase your chances of quitting and staying smoke-free. Visit smokefree.gov/build-your-quit-plan to get your plan started. Or write your plan on paper. Here are some things to include:
Other things to do to help you quit:
- Drink lots of water. Drink water or tea instead of coffee or alcohol.
- Try to manage your stress. Stress can be a trigger for smoking. Try things to relieve stress, like meditation, deep breathing, exercising or listening to your favorite music.
- Reward yourself for your progress. Celebrate milestones, like 1 day, 1 week and 1 month of being smoke-free.
If you have trouble quitting, keep trying! Youre doing whats best for you and your baby.
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First We Need To Know What Is Vaping Or E
Vape or e-cigarettes, is different from smoking that we all know. Traditional smoking actually burns tobacco leaf to create smoke. But both vaping and smoking releases or has nicotine. But people said that vaping is less harmful than smoking in a traditional way. It does mean that it is less harmful, it is not harmful at all.
Youâll need a device which is called vape device and a juice to make it work. Juices comes from different flavors which is the main reason why people enjoy vaping. The vape juice usually contains propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and nicotine. You can actually choose the level of nicotine that you want.
Human Fallopian Tube And Serum Collection
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Lothian Research Ethics Committee , and informed written consent was obtained from all of the women participating in the study. Serum samples and Fallopian tube biopsies from the ampullary region of the Fallopian tube were collected from participants at the time of hysterectomy for benign gynaecological conditions. Women were between 18 and 45 years of age. All biopsies were collected in the mid-luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and cycle phase was later confirmed by estradiol and progesterone levels measured in the serum samples as described previously . A smoking history was obtained from all patients. In the first part of the study biopsies from non-smokers were transferred to the laboratory in phosphate-buffered saline for explant culture . In the second part of the study biopsies were divided into equivalent portions and i) immersed in RNAlater at 4°C overnight and then flash frozen at 80°C for RNA extraction, or ii) fixed in 4% neutral-buffered formalin overnight at 4°C followed by storage in 70% ethanol, and subsequent embedding in paraffin wax for immunohistochemical staining. Serum samples were stored at 20°C until analysis. Altman’s nomogram indicates that a sample size of 8 in each group will have 80% power at the 5% significance level to show a difference of 1.4 standard deviations between the two groups, if one truly exists.
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What Happens When A Pregnant Woman Smokes
Breadcrumb
Most people know that smoking is bad for you, but if you’re a smoker and pregnant it can harm your growing baby too. In the UK, smoking in pregnancy causes up to 5,000 miscarriages and around 2,200 premature births each year. The good news is that there is lots of help available to quit.
Did you know?
Many women give up successfully. Smoking rates recorded at delivery have fallen to their lowest recorded level in England in 2019.
The Dangers Of Secondhand Smoke During Pregnancy
Even if you dont light up yourself but your partner or others around you do your babys body is going to pick up nearly as much contamination as it would if you did.
Cigars and pipes can be potentially even more harmful because they arent inhaled in the same way, and the smoke that they release may contain higher concentrations of carcinogens and smaller particles that can lodge in the lungs.
The bottom line? Stay away from second-hand smoke, and ask smokers not to do it around you.
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Effects Of Smoking Cigarettes During Pregnancy
Cigarettes are a dangerous product made from dangerous toxins and chemicals. Smoking while pregnant is a big no-no because of the health problems that can arise for both you and your baby. If you are a smoker and are thinking about having a baby, its important to drop your smoking habit before conceiving to protect your unborn baby from a plethora of health risks.
In this post, were going to discuss how smoking can lead to experiencing those health risks, and how you may have trouble getting pregnant if you smoke. Learning about the statistics of smoking while pregnant is not meant to scare you, but we are discussing them to inform you of what may happen if you do not quit smoking before getting pregnant.
Pregnancy Complications From Smoking
Some of the pregnancy complications more commonly experienced by women who smoke include:
- ectopic pregnancy this is pregnancy outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube
- fetal death death of the baby in the uterus
- spontaneous abortion known as miscarriage
- problems with the placenta, including early detachment from the uterine wall and blocking the cervical opening
- premature rupture of the membranes
- premature labour.
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Health Effects Of Smoking And Secondhand Smoke On Babies
- Mothers who smoke are more likely to deliver their babies early. Preterm delivery is a leading cause of death, disability, and disease among newborns.1,2
- One in every five babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy has low birth weight. Mothers who are exposed to secondhand smoke while pregnant are more likely to have lower birth weight babies. Babies born too small or too early are not as healthy.1,2,3
- Both babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant and babies who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome than babies who are not exposed to cigarette smoke.1,2,3 Babies whose mothers smoke are about three times more likely to die from SIDS.1
- Babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant or who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth have weaker lungs than other babies, which increases the risk for many health problems.1,2,3
Is Smoking Lavender Healthier Than Tobacco
Some people smoke lavender instead of tobacco because they believe that lavender is a healthier choice. No studies have tested or found support for this claim.
One advantage of lavender, in comparison to tobacco, is that it does not contain nicotine. Nicotine is the substance that makes tobacco addictive. For people who want to stop smoking tobacco, herbal cigarettes that are nicotine-free may help with stopping smoking. However, this does not mean smoking lavender is healthy in itself.
No studies have assessed the safety of lavender cigarettes. However, inhaling any type of smoke is harmful, especially to young people, whose lungs are still developing.
The risks of are clear. Some of the dangers include:
- an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome in babies
- damage to the lungs of developing babies and children
- increased frequency of ear infections, bronchitis, and some other infections in children
- an increased risk of asthma attacks
- increased risk of cancer in pet cats and dogs
Although no studies have tested the effects of secondhand smoke from lavender cigarettes, inhaling it may carry similar risks, especially if a person mixes lavender with tobacco.
No research has tested the safety of smoking lavender during pregnancy, but the Environmental Protection Agency advises pregnant people to avoid inhaling smoke. Doing so may harm both the pregnant person and the fetus.
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Bad Expression Is Significantly Reduced In Fallopian Tube Of Smokers And Bcl2 Expression Is Increased When Compared To Non
NCL expression was not altered in the FT of smokers when compared to non-smokers . However, the expression of BAD mRNA was significantly lower and expression of BCL2 was found to be significantly higher in Fallopian tube from smokers compared to Fallopian tube from nonsmokers . These data suggest an association between FT BAD and BCL2 expression, serum cotinine, and cigarette smoking.
How Does Smoking Affect A Pregnant Woman And Her Baby
Tobacco smoking affects both mother and baby and poses health risks to both. Smoking during pregnancy puts the baby at risk for health problems during the pregnancy and after the baby is born. Nicotine and all the harmful products inhaled from the tobacco enter the bloodstream of the mother and are passed directly into the baby’s circulation through the placenta. Tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 harmful chemicals, over 70 of which are known to be carcinogenic .
Some of the known health effects on the baby include the following:
These risks to the baby increase with the number of cigarettes smoked during pregnancy. Of course, tobacco smoking is also harmful to the mother, increasing her risk of
- other conditions.
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How To Stop Smoking When Pregnant
Stopping smoking in pregnancy at any time has a positive impact on your babys life as well as your own. The sooner you stop, the more it benefits you and your baby .
Research shows that more women quit smoking when theyre pregnant than at other time in their lives. Up to 45% of women who smoked before they got pregnant suddenly stopped ahead of their first antenatal appointment .
Pregnant women who smoke during pregnancy are referred to a specialist midwife or stop smoking adviser for support. This will happen even if they quit up to two weeks beforehand. Support usually takes the form of one-to-one appointments to help you deal with cravings for cigarettes and other withdrawal symptoms .
If your partner or close family members also smoke, they can support you by joining you in giving up. This can really help boost your motivation to quit. Because its so important you both stop, they should be given support too .
Your midwife and GP will be very supportive if you decide to stop smoking. There are several other sources from where you can get help and support, including:
Getting Help And Support
Just as you need help and support during and after your pregnancy, you need help and support to quit smoking.
Here are some suggestions:
- tell your friends and family you’re trying to quit
- ask them to be patient with you when you’re dealing with withdrawal symptoms
- if they smoke, tell them not to smoke around you or your baby
Some quitting methods may not be suitable while you’re pregnant ask your health professional for advice on what is best for you and your baby or call the Quitline.
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How Can I Quit Smoking Before Or During Pregnancy
There are many smoking cessation programs available to help you quit smoking. Ask your health care provider for more information about these programs.
Here are some tips that may help you kick the habit:
- Hide your matches, lighters, and ashtrays.
- Designate your home a no-smoking area.
- Ask people who smoke not to smoke around you.
- Drink fewer caffeinated beverages caffeine may stimulate your urge to smoke. Also avoid alcohol, as it may also increase your urge to smoke and can be harmful to your baby.
- Change your habits connected with smoking. If you smoked while driving or when feeling stressed, try other activities to replace smoking.
- Keep mints or gum on hand for those times when you get the urge to smoke.
- Stay active to keep your mind off smoking and help relieve tension: take a walk, exercise, read a book, or try a new hobby.
- Look for support from others. Join a support group or smoking cessation program.
- Do not go to places where many people are smoking such as bars or clubs, and smoking sections of restaurants.
Is It Safe To Smoke A Vape Around A Pregnant Woman
Do you wonder if vaping around a pregnant woman is safe? Does second hand vape affects pregnancy? We all got the answers for you.
Vaping became a hit to many people for the past years. It said that its helpful to actually quit smoking and less harmful from the traditional tobacco cigarettes. But does the smoke or second hand vape can affect a pregnancy?
We all know that smoking is really bad for a pregnant woman even the smoke from a cigarette. It will lead to many complications in her pregnancy and for the baby as well. What if you are pregnant and your husband or partner is vaping? Are you curious what will be the effect of the second hand vape for you while youâre in journey to your pregnancy?
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