How does smoking affect you during pregnancy? Smoking during pregnancy - is it possible or not? What should a pregnant woman who cannot quit smoking do? Pregnancy and late-term smoking

The news of pregnancy often plunges a woman into shock: the new situation becomes a real test of the strength and maturity of the expectant mother. The point is that with the advent of a new life inside, you will have to make certain adjustments to your usual lifestyle - buy vitamins, do exercises, eat only healthy foods, give up bad habits... As practice shows, most often problems for expectant mothers arise precisely with the last point of the program for bearing a healthy baby. Quitting smoking is a serious challenge, and quitting smoking while pregnant is also a vital task. Why an expectant mother needs to forget about cigarettes at all costs, you will find out in the article.

Of course, it's better to avoid this altogether. bad habit. However, for one reason or another, the percentage smoking women In our country, the age of acquaintance with the first cigarette increases every year, and, on the contrary, decreases. What should an expectant mother do with her addiction to nicotine? There is only one answer and there are no compromises in this situation: quit smoking as soon as possible. It would be unfair and unethical to put pressure on women who smoke to feel guilty, because each of them is an adult, self-sufficient person who is responsible for herself and her offspring independently. And, of course, only the mother of the unborn baby has the right to make the final decision. We will simply help her see the general and objective picture of the relationships in the triangle “mother – cigarettes – child”, providing useful material for reflection. We hope this will help a woman set her priorities correctly and easily step into new life, leaving a bad habit in the past.

How does smoking affect pregnancy?

Extensive research has been and is currently being carried out around the world on the effect of nicotine addiction on the course of pregnancy and the fetus in the womb. All of them confirm the complex adverse effect cigarettes on a woman and her baby: the maternal body suffers, burdened by pregnancy, there is a threat to the normal prenatal development of the fetus, the likelihood of abnormalities in infants and one-year-old children increases.

When a pregnant woman smokes, the baby is enveloped in a dense ring of smoke, which spasms the blood vessels of the fragile growing body and provokes the development of oxygen starvation in the fetus. Under the influence of nicotine, the placenta becomes thin and acquires round shape, the risk of detachment increases. Due to smoking, the hemoglobin of the mother's body decreases its active work, which concerns the transport of oxygen to the uterus and the baby in it. As a result of this disorder, arterial spasm of the uterus occurs, which becomes the cause of placental function disorder, and the child begins to systematically receive less of the oxygen he needs.

Each puff brings the expectant mother closer to serious and sometimes irreversible consequences, among which the most unfavorable are:

• high risk of spontaneous miscarriage;
• the birth of a premature baby with low adaptive abilities;
• probability of perinatal death;
• the small weight of the newborn, which significantly reduces his chances of full development;
• the formation of physical pathologies in the fetus;
• development of preeclampsia - the condition threatens the lives of both the mother and her child (the woman develops extensive swelling, protein in the urine, and blood pressure rises sharply);
• the risk of delayed manifestation of the consequences of smoking - intellectual and social disorders may occur in a child some time after birth.

Even a few puffs a day will not improve the situation - the consequences of smoking during pregnancy will manifest themselves in any case and, first of all, will be felt by the woman herself:

• future mothers who smoke feel much worse than those who do not have bad habits;
• early toxicosis and gestosis - the first symptoms nicotine poisoning female body;
• smoking contributes to the appearance or worsening of varicose veins in a pregnant woman, and also causes dizziness and impairment digestive function(diarrhea or constipation);
• nicotine “eats” vitamin C in the mother’s body. The shortage of this useful substance results in metabolic disorders, decreased general immunity, problems with protein absorption, poor resistance to stress and depression.

Smoking during pregnancy casts a shadow on the well-being of the baby after birth. When a pregnant woman smokes, the fetus is poisoned by tobacco smoke. So the child finds himself at the mercy of passive smoking, which threatens him with acquiring bad habits in the future. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are often introduced to tobacco and drinking at an early age. adolescence. Babies, doomed to nicotine addiction in the womb, are more capricious, sleep poorly, have difficulty concentrating, and many of them suffer from attacks of suffocation.

In addition, the latest Scientific research showed that carcinogens that enter the body of a smoking woman along with tobacco smoke depress reproductive system fetus, which is at the stage of formation. This means that children born in the future may face the problem of infertility: girls of smoking mothers have a sharply reduced supply of eggs, and boys may face erectile dysfunction (impotence).

The effect of smoking during pregnancy at different stages

It doesn’t matter what month of pregnancy a woman smokes – it harms her baby in any case. The only difference is which organ or system of the little man’s body will suffer more than others.

Smoking in early pregnancy

When a smoking woman is informed that she is expecting a child, she begins to suffer from remorse about her bad habit. In this case, the expectant mother can be reassured a little: nature took care of the new life in advance. Conception occurs around the 14th day menstrual cycle. Experts consider the first week to be neutral - a close connection has not yet been established between the woman and the embryo in her womb. The clump of cells that will later turn into a person is developing thanks to on our own and stocks. The embryo immerses into the endometrium with the onset of the second week of pregnancy, and the woman becomes suspicious about her position only after a delay in menstruation.

Smoking turns the entire physiology of pregnancy upside down, distorting all processes involved in the formation of the organs of the unborn child, replacing normal cells sick. In particular severe cases tobacco toxins distort the structure so much bone marrow child that a substance transplant is necessary after his birth. It is obvious that smoking during early pregnancy has the greatest degree of danger. One puff of cigarette smoke brings a whole range of toxic substances to the baby: nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, benzopyrene, tar, formaldehyde. Fetal hypoxia, lack of adequate blood flow in the vessels of the placenta, spontaneous miscarriage, increased risk of vaginal bleeding - these are just a tenth of the consequences of the proximity of a bad habit to pregnancy. Every year the number of cases where women who smoke during pregnancy give birth to children with “ cleft palate"or "cleft lip". These palate pathologies are difficult to correct plastically.

Smoking during 1 month of pregnancy

It may happen that due to large-scale changes in the body, the smell of tobacco will seem disgusting to a woman. However, in most cases, pregnancy does not affect addiction in any way, so future mom continues to smoke, remaining for some time in ignorance of his situation.

The risk of miscarriage at this time is maximum: maternal smoking literally cuts off oxygen to the embryo, without which not a single creature can survive. Without a complete oxygen supply, the process of laying down all important organs and systems of the child. Please note that passive inhalation tobacco smoke brings the same harm to a pregnant woman as active smoking of cigarettes.

Smoking during the 5th – 6th month of pregnancy

At the 5th month of intrauterine life, the baby has already acquired arms and legs, he is actively trying to control them. After a period of activity, the child will certainly calm down to rest and gain strength. The little man can cough, hiccup, kick, and his mother can already accurately determine when he moves. During this period, the child’s body builds up brown fat, due to which the temperature human body remains unchanged. Sweat glands form in the skin.

As a result of the research, it was possible to see a shocking picture: when tobacco smoke penetrates a woman’s body, and from there into the placenta, the baby grimaces and tries to move away from the harmful substance. The effect of smoking on pregnancy during this period disrupts the natural order of fetal development, leading to serious consequences. Among them are hypoxia and premature birth, which become a death sentence for the baby. At this age, he is still completely unprepared to face the outside world.

Smoking during 8–9 months of pregnancy

A regularly satisfied craving for cigarettes during the 8th month of expecting a baby results in serious complications: uterine bleeding, prenatal condition, miscarriage. Maternal smoking directly affects the fetus very strongly. Such children have underdevelopment of the brain, underweight and spontaneous death in the first hours/days after birth.

Ninth, last month the baby's stay in the mother's womb is very responsible - the child is preparing to greet the world with his first cry. Every week he gains about 250 g of weight and gradually descends into the pelvic cavity. The woman is increasingly experiencing short-term and painless contractions, and her easy, unconstrained breathing returns.

Smoking mercilessly interferes with this process and makes its own adjustments to the creation of a new person. Let us list the complications that are always observed in a woman who smokes in the last weeks of pregnancy:

• partial or complete detachment of the placenta, the development of severe uterine bleeding;
• pronounced hypertension;
• toxicosis;
• the onset of labor earlier than planned;
• high risk of stillbirth;
• the likelihood of giving birth to a premature baby.

And this is a list of pathologies that can deprive a baby of all chances for full life, if his mother was unable to cope with her nicotine addiction during pregnancy:

• defects of the nervous system;
• mental disorders;
• Down syndrome;
• myocardial diseases;
• heterotropia;
• inguinal hernia;
• pathologies of the nasopharynx.

All doctors, as one, insist: it is never too late to quit smoking - even if a woman does it at the final stage of pregnancy, she will still provide an invaluable service to her baby.

Smoking and alcohol during pregnancy

Alcohol is another toxic substance that can extremely negatively affect the intrauterine development of a child. Cigarettes and alcohol are a very dangerous combination during pregnancy. Numerous studies in this area have presented the public with disappointing facts: ethanol, acetaldehyde and nicotine, having a complex effect on the fetal body, cause irreversible changes in the DNA chain, destroy the process of protein synthesis and cause severe brain pathologies.

Penetrating into the body not yet born child, alcohol remains there twice as long as in the mother’s body, so even irregular moderate doses of alcohol do not guarantee that the newborn will be healthy. Drinking alcohol and smoking during pregnancy damages the child's most vulnerable organs - the kidneys, liver and brain. Among babies born to mothers with bad habits, cases of sudden infant death syndrome are very common, when a child dies for no objective reason (most often in his sleep).

Harmful alcohol and nicotine addiction in the last weeks before childbirth causes the development of gestosis. This condition poses a danger to the life of the mother and fetus. The main target for toxins becomes vascular system mother, who as a result cannot fully supply the placenta with blood and valuable elements in it. In this regard, the child’s development slows down, placental abruption occurs, and premature birth may occur.

Smoking during pregnancy is a sign of selfishness and failure of a woman as a future mother, whose procreation instincts are not strong enough to put an end to pregnancy once and for all. harmful addiction. A pregnant woman who smokes should not withdraw into herself, being left alone with the problem. On the contrary, she needs to ask for help - from doctors, family and friends. There are many ways to give up cigarettes, but first of all you need to really want it, and the health and well-being of your unborn baby will be the most important motivation for this.

The effect of cigarettes on fetal development. Video

Smoking is one of the most common addictions that causes great harm human health. Due to nicotine addiction, people become weak-willed, worsening their condition every day. IN special category smokers include pregnant women. Often, expectant mothers who smoked before conception cannot get rid of this habit during pregnancy. And this has a very bad effect on the condition of the unborn child.

Gynecologists tell pregnant women about all the “delights” of an addiction, but not everyone manages to get rid of it. Many of them are really afraid of the consequences of smoking for the fetus, and therefore they wonder whether pregnant women can smoke hookah or e-Sigs. According to doctors, there is no need to look for a replacement; it is better to try to quit smoking correctly.

Smoking during pregnancy: consequences

During pregnancy, mother and child are one organism, and therefore any habits of a woman in one way or another affect the fetus. According to medical research, in about 75% of cases, pregnant women noticed Negative consequences smoking. Many mothers claim that they smoked during pregnancy, but the child’s health is fine. However, they do not understand that the consequences can overtake the baby some time after birth.

If a pregnant woman smokes, then nicotine penetrates into her body (and as a result, into the body of the fetus). This insidious poison can harm a child even through long time(in adulthood). The carcinogen makes children absent-minded, impairs memory and sleep, and negatively affects the central nervous system. Some of them become very hot-tempered, while others, on the contrary, slow down their reactions.

According to doctors, pregnant women should not smoke, otherwise the likelihood of the following consequences increases:

The amount of oxygen in the body of a smoking mother decreases. As a result, less gas penetrates the placental barrier to the baby, and this can lead to dangerous complications.
The fetal heart rate increases.
The likelihood of spontaneous abortion or stillbirth increases.
There is a risk that the baby will be born between 22 and 37 weeks or will be premature.
Increased risk of disease respiratory organs The child has.

Expectant mothers should know that in the early stages (up to 4 weeks of pregnancy) it does not matter whether a woman smokes less often or buys cigarettes with a lower nicotine concentration. Less strong cigarettes also contain harmful substances, despite the fact that the amount of resins in them is smaller. In addition, the expectant mother must understand that cigarettes have a bad effect not only on the fetus, but also on her condition. Smoking increases the likelihood of gestosis (late toxicosis) or aggravates this condition, sleep disorders occur, metabolism is disrupted, and a woman quickly and sharply gains weight.

But sometimes the expectant mother, against her will, becomes a victim of smoking. We are talking about passive smoking, which has no less negative effects on the body, moreover, it can accelerate harmful effects. This is explained by the fact that when a person smokes inhales smoke, the lungs are affected not only by carcinogens and poisons, but also by oxygen oxides. These chemical compounds negatively affect the central nervous system, provoke sleep disorders, hypoxia and uterine contractions.

To improve your health and prevent all negative consequences, you should avoid any influence of smoke. Do not visit smoking areas, ask your loved ones to refrain from smoking in front of you.

Time to get rid of a bad habit

Doctors recommend quitting smoking while planning a pregnancy, although it is never too late to give up the bad habit. In the early stages, smoking carries the greatest danger, and all because Negative influence carcinogens are directed to the developing central nervous system of the fetus.

Many pregnant women who smoke are interested in the question of whether it is possible for a pregnant woman to suddenly quit smoking if she did so before conception. It is not recommended to suddenly give up cigarettes before the 13th week of pregnancy. It is better to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes in order to gradually get rid of addiction.

In the 2nd trimester, the formation of the brain, all internal organs and limbs occurs. When smoking in the period from 14 to 26 weeks, the likelihood of physical abnormalities increases, and the development of important organs or even systems may be disrupted. The respiratory organs and central nervous system are at greatest risk.

From 27 to 40 weeks, pregnant women develop lactation ability. Nicotine from cigarettes accumulates in tissues, and the later a woman gives up smoking, the greater the risk that she will feed her baby poisoned milk. As a result, the baby gets used to nicotine, he suffers from colic, diarrhea, and sleep disorders.

Some women wonder what to do if they smoked and found out that they were pregnant. If the pregnancy was sudden and a smoking woman found out about it at 2–4 weeks, then the embryo has already received a small dose of nicotine. During this period, the digestive organs, spine and brain are formed, which may suffer from the mother’s nicotine addiction.

Expectant mothers who have recently learned about their situation are very worried that they have already poisoned their baby with this poison. However, reduce bad influence nicotine on the fetus is possible. The expectant mother is advised to immediately notify the gynecologist that she has recently quit smoking. In this case, the doctor will prescribe vitamins based on ascorbic acid and iron. A woman should avoid tonic drinks (coffee, tea, sweet soda). It is advisable to include vegetables, fruits, and freshly squeezed juices in your diet. It is recommended to drink plenty of fluids: filtered water, kefir, green tea etc. You should also take walks every day and avoid smoking areas. Only by observing these conditions will a woman be able to correct the harm she has caused to the baby.

Smoking herbal mixtures and hookah

Some women smoke weed while pregnant; this is very dangerous for the fetus. Herbal mixtures violate mental development of the unborn child, they depress the activity of the central nervous system, but at the same time excite nerve endings brain.

When smoking weed, there is a threat not only from within, but also from without. Herbal mixtures slow down nervous system women have impaired coordination, and therefore the likelihood of falls and blows increases, which could result in damage to the fetus.

Effects of smoking weed during pregnancy:

The development of the fetus is disrupted, its body is constantly poisoned by toxic substances, and it develops a dependence on “weed” even before birth.
Every 3 children whose mother smoked weed has impaired brain functionality, which is manifested by memory loss, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other pathologies.
As a result of regular smoking by the mother, the fetus may simply die in the womb.

Many people are interested in whether pregnant women can smoke hookah. According to doctors, hookah during pregnancy is perhaps even more dangerous than cigarettes. Is in the smoke a large number of dangerous chemical substances(including nicotine and carbon monoxide). Many smokers believe that the water through which the smoke passes cleanses it of toxic substances. However, this opinion is erroneous, since they are completely absorbed into the blood. After smoking a hookah, a person is even more poisoned by nicotine and carbon monoxide, since the process itself lasts longer.

Pregnant women are prohibited from smoking hookah frequently, otherwise the risk of dangerous consequences: low weight, respiratory diseases, sudden infant death.

The question of how to quit smoking during pregnancy interests many expectant mothers. This is quite real, as proven by many women! The following rules will help facilitate this process:

Do not perform activities that make you remember cigarettes (don’t drink coffee, don’t drink alcohol, avoid stress, etc.).
Check out the popular book " The easy way quit smoking" A. Carr.
Change your daily routine, fill the gaps with interesting activities (crafts, sports, dancing, etc.).
Take walks more often fresh air. If you smoke on the street, the unfriendly reaction of passers-by will make you feel shy and awkward. As a result, you will not get pleasure from the process. In addition, during a walk, oxygen spreads faster through the tissues, and the craving for cigarettes decreases.
Replace cigarettes with sweets. Give preference to dark chocolate, sweets and lollipops.

After 2 - 3 weeks, your weight will increase slightly. However, don’t worry, they’ll get back to normal soon. metabolic processes and work endocrine glands and you will return to normal.
Watch films about the intrauterine development of a child and pregnancy more often. This improves your mood and adds confidence that you are doing the right thing by giving up a bad habit.
Sign up for courses for young parents and talk to your doctor about this topic.

By following these rules, you will soon be able to quit smoking.

If you can't quit

And in some cases, the expectant mother fails to quit smoking, but she realizes how dangerous it is for the fetus and is very worried. In such cases, you can resort to auxiliary means.

The nicotine patch can replace cigarettes, and the harm from it is much less than from cigarettes. This method is used by many mothers who are faced with a similar problem. As they write on the forums, he helped some women give up their addiction. The patch contains the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette, but without inhaling the smoke.

According to doctors, smoking electronic cigarettes is not a solution. This is explained by the fact that a woman is forced to independently control the flow of nicotine into her body, and this is quite difficult. Future mother may consume more nicotine, but not feel it, since he inhales vapor, not smoke.

Now you know how to quit smoking while pregnant. The most important condition is your own desire to get rid of nicotine addiction for the benefit of the unborn child. Stay positive, stay calm and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

Smoking is one of the most severe addictions that people living in the 21st century suffer from. One cigarette contains more than 40 toxic substances and carcinogens, which not only negatively affect the functioning of the heart, brain, bronchopulmonary system, but also cause the growth of malignant cells, prone to rapid growth and metastasis to healthy organs and tissues. Even completely healthy man within 2-3 years, it can significantly undermine health if one smokes more than 1 cigarette per day, and in people with weakened immune systems, such dependence can lead to the appearance of various formations in the larynx, on the mucous membranes of the esophagus and in the pulmonary alveoli.

Pregnant women are considered a particularly vulnerable category of smokers. Doctors of all specialties agree in one opinion: smoking during pregnancy negatively affects the development and growth of the fetus and can cause complications, the most severe of which is pregnancy, miscarriage or premature onset of labor. However, some practicing obstetricians and gynecologists allow smoking while carrying a child, considering the harm from abruptly quitting cigarettes to be stronger than the possible consequences of tobacco addiction.

Women who smoke should be aware that all substances contained in cigarette smoke not only settle in the pulmonary system, but also enter the systemic bloodstream, through which the fetus receives oxygen-enriched and nutrients blood. Cigarettes contain many toxic substances, each of which affects the health of mother and child in a certain way, and can lead to irreversible consequences. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing appearance defects (for example, cleft lip) and birth defects hearts. Such babies are in a state of chronic hypoxia during the period of intrauterine growth, so the likelihood of violations cerebral circulation, hydrocephalus and childhood cerebral palsy also quite high.

To understand how serious consequences may be, if a woman continues to smoke while carrying a child, you need to know what the cigarette consists of, what hazardous substances present in its composition and what harm they can cause to a woman and child.

Table. Chemical composition cigarettes.

It is important! Some women, relying on the experience of their friends and acquaintances, underestimate the dangers of smoking during pregnancy and believe that nothing bad will happen if they smoke 2-3 cigarettes a day. This is a misconception. Substances contained in cigarettes have the highest degree of toxicity and can accumulate in organs and tissues for years. Even if a child was born without visible health problems, this does not mean that his organs will function normally in the future, since the consequences of intrauterine tobacco intoxication may appear only after several years and even in adulthood.

Should you give up cigarettes: doctors' opinion

Doctors categorically prohibit smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, as this can lead to irreparable consequences. Smoking quadruples the risk of having children with birth defects and deformities, as well as spontaneous abortion. The most dangerous periods are considered to be from 4 to 10 weeks and from 30 to 33 weeks of gestation– it is during this period that the maximum number of frozen pregnancies and miscarriages is recorded.

If a woman cannot cope with addiction on her own, she can seek help from specialized centers, but it is important to understand that most highly effective treatments are contraindicated for pregnant women, so it is better to treat nicotine addiction at the planning stage.

If the expectant mother does not take any measures, the child may be born with the following pathologies:

• heart defects;
• heart rhythm disturbance;
• lung diseases (for example, pneumonia, from which up to 4% of newborns die annually);
• diseases of the blood and blood vessels (thrombocytopenia, thromboembolism, leukemia);
• impairment of visual and auditory function (the most common consequence is hearing loss, requires surgical correction or using a hearing aid);
• hydrocephalus (water on the brain);
• obstruction bile ducts(atresia), cirrhosis.

Children born to a smoking mother have poor functioning the immune system. Such a child often suffers from colds and intestinal infections and does not tolerate shifts well. temperature regime, difficult to adapt to new conditions. Girls during puberty may experience severe hormonal surges, leading to increased hair growth on the back and face, sweating, and emotional swings. In the future, these girls may experience recurrent pathologies of the uterus and endometrium, especially if the woman continues to smoke after childbirth in the presence of the child.

Smoking during pregnancy and infant mortality

For women who continue to smoke while pregnant, if the number of cigarettes they smoke exceeds 10 cigarettes per day, the likelihood of having a child with immature lungs is very high. If the lungs do not open after birth, the newborn will be connected to a machine artificial ventilation lungs, but a positive prognosis in in this case will depend on many factors, including great importance have the date at which the child was born, the presence of other congenital diseases and disorders, anthropometric indicators, type of feeding. Most children in this condition are parenteral nutrition, but after transfer to the intensive care unit or intensive care The mother may be allowed to feed the baby expressed breast milk.

Important! It is very important that during this period the woman gives up smoking so that the substances that enter the mother's milk from tobacco smoke did not increase intoxication. If a woman is unable to give up cigarettes, the best option will be fed with adapted milk replacers.

In what cases is it better not to quit smoking?

In some situations, doctors allow continued smoking, but immediately warn the woman about the possible consequences for her body and fetus. Such recommendations can be given to women who are in a state of deep stress, characterized by depression, lack of positive emotions, emotional lability, signs depressive disorders. Such clinical picture often observed with nicotine addiction of 3-4 degrees, when even a short period without cigarettes is accompanied not only by psycho-emotional symptoms, but also by physical manifestations reminiscent of the “withdrawal” syndrome in chronic alcoholics.

These symptoms include:

• sticky sweat on palms;
• tremor of the extremities (mainly the upper);
• nausea;
• refusal to eat;
• increased heart rate;
• violation respiratory function(shallow, shallow breathing);
• insomnia.

In such women abrupt refusal Smoking can cause a nervous breakdown and the threat of premature termination of pregnancy. In particularly severe cases there were severe forms depressive disorders that provoked suicidal tendencies and intentions. Doctors advise women with signs of grade 3-4 nicotine addiction to continue smoking, if possible reducing the number of cigarettes smoked.

Another solution may be to switch to lighter cigarettes with a reduced content of nicotine and tar, but even such tobacco products lead to irreversible damage and can cause congenital pathologies The child has.

Is it possible to smoke hookah?

Some women choose to use cigars and cigarettes as an alternative smoking mixtures, intended for use in hookahs. The expectant mother should know that even a hookah without nicotine can be dangerous for her health and the health of the fetus, since the combustion of any substance releases two dangerous carcinogens - carbon monoxide and benzopyrene. Inhalation of these substances for an hour can cause non-infectious pneumonia, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the larynx and nasal passages, as well as acute intoxication body by combustion products.

Flavoring additives, which can cause allergies in a baby during the neonatal period, cause no less harm to the female body. Such substances have a negative effect on heartbeat and can cause it to slow down (bradycardia), therefore, for women with a history of vascular and heart diseases, any type of hookah is strictly contraindicated.

Electronic cigarette: solution or hidden danger?

An electronic cigarette is a very popular device that simulates the smoking process. A person inhales steam generated during the heating process of a special liquid, which is filled into a cartridge. The choice of liquids for smoking electronic cigarettes (the correct name is vaping) is large, and the range is represented by nicotine-free products, which some women choose for a more comfortable parting with addiction.

Doctors are against such a replacement, since even liquids that do not contain nicotine are made with the addition of large amounts of carcinogens, the inhalation of which provokes the same diseases and pathologies as smoking regular cigarettes. Another danger lies in the large number of counterfeits, among which it can be very difficult to choose a quality product, and cheap electronic cigarettes can harm the health of women and others.

Smoking – dangerous habit, which can cause serious illnesses, some of which can be fatal dangerous pathologies: lung cancer, leukemia, heart defects. Women are more sensitive to the effects of toxic substances contained in cigarettes, and if a woman is pregnant, the risk increases severalfold. The correct growth and healthy development of her child during intrauterine life depends on the woman, so it is important to make every effort to combat addiction at the stage of planning and preparing for a future pregnancy.

Video - Smoking during pregnancy at different stages: effect on the fetus

Of course, every person has heard about the dangers of smoking. However, the number of smokers, unfortunately, is not decreasing. Moreover, you can often see an expectant mother with a cigarette. But she is responsible not only for her own life, but also for the health of the baby she carries under her heart. Let's figure out how smoking affects early pregnancy and what it can lead to.

Read in this article

What enters the body during smoking

Smoking negatively affects the condition of all human systems and organs. This destructive habit spoils appearance skin, teeth, circulatory, respiratory, digestive system, brain.

When cigarette smoke enters a woman's body, toxic substances reach the child, and in increased concentrations. An unformed embryo cannot withstand harmful effects.

Every cigarette contains the following dangerous substances:

• nicotine;
• resins;
• carbon monoxide;
• carcinogenic substances;
• methane;
• cadmium;
• hexamine;
• benzopyrene;
• acetic acid;
• butane;
• arsenic;
• methanol;
• stearic acid;
• ammonia;
• toluene;
• dye.

Some heavy smokers believe that simply reducing the number of cigarettes they smoke per day is enough to clear their conscience. In fact, even 1-2 cigarettes daily have harmful effects.

What happens when a pregnant woman smokes

Why is smoking dangerous in early pregnancy? When a woman inhales cigarette smoke, the fetus experiences vasospasm, which provokes oxygen starvation. The child begins to choke. This is why women who smoke often give birth to premature babies weighing less than 2.5 kg. Other parameters (length, circumference chest and head) also indicate a developmental delay in the baby.

Possible consequences of smoking while pregnant

The consequences of smoking in early pregnancy for a child can be as follows:

• premature birth;
• child's retardation in physical and mental development;
• intrauterine pathologies;
• difficulties in the child with the perception of new information, lag in the school curriculum;
• allergic problems;
• frequent colds.

Of course, the severity possible consequences depends on the frequency of smoking. However, even a few cigarettes a day can harm the fetus.

Smoking in the first trimester

The most dangerous effect of smoking on early pregnancy is considered. If conception occurs spontaneously, not planned, the woman continues to lead a normal lifestyle without giving up bad habits.

Immediately after conception, the fetus is not yet protected by the placenta, so smoking can cause greatest harm. It is in the early stages that all organs and systems of the embryo are formed. And with external negative impact a failure may occur, which will subsequently manifest itself in the pathology of the skeletal system, heart and other organs.

To eliminate smoking in the early stages of pregnancy before the delay, you need to give up cigarettes at the stage of planning conception.

Smoking in the second and third trimesters

On later During pregnancy, smoking can also lead to abnormal development of the fetus. The likelihood of premature ripening of the placenta and early delivery increases.

If the expectant mother smokes about 5–10 cigarettes per day, the risk increases. This pathology accompanied by heavy bleeding in a woman in labor, the child during this period suffers from acute oxygen starvation. Surgical intervention is performed as an emergency, and the risk of fetal death from lack of oxygen is quite high.

Stupid myths about smoking during pregnancy

There are many different opinions regarding the influence cigarette smoke on the course of pregnancy, on the intrauterine development of the fetus. If a woman cannot find the strength to quit smoking, she clings to excuses and continues to poison herself and her child with smoke.

Myth 1. Quitting smoking abruptly is harmful to the health of the fetus. When a woman gives up cigarettes, her body begins to cleanse itself of toxins. This process also affects the child, causing harm to his body. This is true, however, continuing to smoke is much worse for a child than giving up a bad habit.

Myth 2. High-quality cigarettes will not harm a child. In fact, expensive cigarettes contain flavorings that make the smoke more “tasty.” The same damage is caused.

Myth 3. Lighter cigarettes are not as dangerous. Indeed, light cigarettes contain less tar and nicotine, but the smoker, unnoticed by himself, smokes every day large quantity cigarettes to achieve the usual concentration of nicotine in the blood.

Myth 4. Feeling great is a sign of normality. Some women believe that the most important thing is wellness. If the expectant mother does not experience inconvenience or discomfort, it means that everything is in order in her body and the child is not harmed. This is wrong. There may be no external signs of intrauterine development disorders at all.

Watch the video about the consequences of smoking in early pregnancy:

Marijuana and its effect on fetal development

Smoking marijuana in the early stages of pregnancy, during conception, disrupts the process of movement of the embryo from fallopian tubes into the uterus. Because of this, pregnancy termination often occurs. If fertilization has occurred, but the woman continues to smoke weed, she may be persecuted frequent vomiting, which seriously disrupt the nutrition of the fetus.

Some of the most common consequences for a child include:

• slowing of fetal growth;
• attention disorder in a child;
• visual impairment;
• problems with the nervous system;
• hyperactivity;
• irritability;
• cognitive deficits;
• underdevelopment of social interactions;
• decreased reproductive capacity in boys;
• increased risk of developing schizophrenia.

If a woman overcomes her weaknesses and quits smoking as soon as she finds out about pregnancy, the risks of developing pathologies are minimal. The main thing is to lead healthy image life, spend more time in the fresh air, adjust your diet.

Of course, there are women who, despite smoking, give birth to healthy and fully developed children. However, the harm of smoking during pregnancy has been scientifically proven, so putting your unborn child in danger in the hope that you will be lucky is stupid and dangerous.

The consequences of smoking are terrible for the unborn child. In 70% of cases they will be impossible to cure or eliminate.

If a woman smoked for a long time, and it was precisely a need, and not “pretentious to hold a menthol slime in her fingers,” it will not be possible to abruptly quit the habit. Cigarettes are addictive narcotic drugs, and refusing them leads to withdrawal. In this case, it is best to tell the leading gynecologist honestly about your bad habit, without being embarrassed by sidelong glances. The problem must be solved competently. Doctors who do not have conservative views will approve, in cases of urgent need, when nerves are at their limit, to “knock the edge off” with a couple of puffs. The smell and familiar mechanical movements will calm the raging psyche and help you pull yourself together. However, it is advisable to stop the bad habit, and the incentive will be given by the consequences that will appear in the child as a result of maternal smoking.

Harm from smoking in early pregnancy

In early pregnancy, smoking can cause physical harm. During the first 3 months, the “structure” of a person occurs. From one cell, an entire organism develops, consisting of different tissues and organs. The process is controlled by a natural mechanism using the DNA molecule. Essentially, DNA is a program that performs actions sequentially. Imagine that a piece was cut out of the program code, or a part was taken away from the mechanism. The work will continue, but the missing element will disrupt the sequence. It’s the same with DNA—cigarette elements attach to chromosomes and “throw them out” of the system. A shift occurs and the body develops further, but in a negative direction.

In addition, nicotine has a negative effect on the mother's body. The worst thing that can happen is a miscarriage. It has been proven that smoking in the early stages is dangerous and doubles the chance of miscarriage.

It is worth paying attention to the effect of nicotine on the blood vessels of the placenta - a spasm occurs, and the fetus experiences hypoxia - oxygen starvation. This leads to a wide variety of consequences, ranging from low weight to psychological diseases the child has for life.

What happens when you smoke late in life?

From the 4th month of pregnancy, in the mother’s stomach there is no longer a fetus, but a person. Quite tiny, but it is a fully formed organism, with a full set of systems. Over the next 5 months, the child will grow, developing internal organs. If the fetus managed to avoid problems in the first trimester, in conditions of constant nicotine feeding, during these 5 months, it can acquire a wide range of diseases of the internal organs that have already formed.

In the womb, the baby uses 3 systems:

1. respiratory;
2. digestive;
3. cardiovascular.

They are not 100% involved, but are constantly involved in the work. Therefore, nicotine that gets into children's body, first of all, strikes at them. The circulation of cigarette “waste” through the fetus with maternal blood clogs the working organs, inhibiting their further development.

The next most important factor is considered to be the moment when the fetus gets used to nicotine. Until the body was forming, it was difficult for it to perceive the resulting chemicals as a drug, which nicotine is, in essence. With the formation of all basic systems, the child’s body is able to process the substances received and become addicted to nicotine before you are born. After childbirth, the child is deprived of constant nourishment and experiences withdrawal, just like adults who abruptly quit smoking. He will cry, be capricious, sleep poorly and be constantly stressed.

Third place in the list of importance of smoking in later stages is taken by the possibility premature birth. U smoking mothers Premature births occur more often, which means the baby is premature and high threshold mortality. Even if you are in your 9th month, smoking is still dangerous.

Is passive smoking harmful during pregnancy?

Passive smoking is a dilemma that leads to heated debate and debate. Some people believe that passive smoking is low-risk, because most of the nicotine ends up in the smoker's lungs.

A pregnant woman who smokes increases her chances of miscarriage many times over.

A cigarette consists of more than just tobacco! Smoking pure tobacco is a very difficult task. To reduce the cost of raw materials, give a pleasant taste and increase addiction, a lot of ingredients are added to the cigarette. chemical elements. Tobacco burns along with impurities and enters the lungs with smoke, settling in the alveoli, but chemical additives come back out. Thus, passive smokers inhale not nicotine, but related drugs. It is resins and chemistry that are currently considered the most dangerous components for human life.

Passive smoking does not cause any particular addiction, but it hits the “smoker’s” body with a vengeance. For ease of vision, imagine a watermelon. The pulp is nicotine, and the seeds are impurities. An ordinary smoker eats the pulp and some of the seeds, and spits out some. Passive smoker simply eats up these bones.

The opinion of doctors is clear - passive smoking is no less dangerous than active smoking, both for mother and child. Pure resins easily settle in the lungs, leading to wide range respiratory tract diseases.

Consequences of smoking during pregnancy

The consequences can be varied. Some become known when the fetus is in the womb, some appear months after birth:

1. Mutation. Children of smoking mothers can be born with 6 fingers, without an ear or nasal cartilage, there are cases of children being born with a “tail” extension from the tailbone, and so on.
2. Facial deformities. « Cleft lip" and "cleft palate" occur many times more often in children of smoking mothers than in non-smoking mothers.
3. Cirrhosis of the liver. Due to the passage of nicotine through digestive tract, from the first seconds of life, the child is provided with an operating table.
4. Asthma. 60–70% of children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have congenital asthma.
5. Cerebral palsy and similar diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
6. Mental retardation, including Down's disease.
7. Clubfoot. The possibility of giving birth to a child with clubfoot is 34% greater for a smoking mother than for a non-smoking mother.
8. Violation reproductive function in children. Boys may have problems with potency in the future.
9. Psychological abnormalities: inattention, impulsiveness, syndrome increased activity, decreased level of mental development.
10. Newborn mortality. 30% more in smokers than in women leading a healthy lifestyle.

How long before conception should you quit smoking?

The problem is not only the fact of the presence of nicotine, but its negative impact. When a person quits smoking, the body experiences stress. Processes of “healing” of damaged organs occur, primarily the respiratory tract and heart (tachycardia, shortness of breath, bronchial deposits). A large amount of resources are spent on their restoration. At the same time, there is a colossal load on the nervous system.

Such experiments are not advisable for a pregnant woman. Her body must direct all available resources to bear the child.

Ideally, you should quit smoking 1 year before conception. The process itself will take place at a moderate pace, without sudden stops, and the body will have a lot of time to recover. Minimum term stopping smoking – 3 months before pregnancy.

If a woman is a heavy smoker, the process will be difficult and difficult. When considering a situation in which pregnancy is not planned, but you need to quit smoking, you can resort to a number of “rules”:

1. Use one-piece slims. Not only is the dose of nicotine small, but they themselves are heavy, which means that you will, by definition, smoke less.
2. Replace the usual mechanical action with another. Often, it is not the cigarette that “calms” you down, but the movement itself.
3. Don't smoke the entire cigarette. Each time you try to leave more and more unfinished cigarettes.
4. Don't put yourself in situations that make you want to smoke. Nervous stress and groups of smoking friends tempt and encourage them to take a puff.

IN recent years, electronic cigarettes have become widespread. They are considered an alternative to the old way of smoking. There are many models and additives to satisfy the tastes of the most meticulous smokers. Before making an expensive purchase, consult a gynecologist, ask friends and acquaintances, maybe some of them have this miracle of technology. It cannot be called absolutely safe, but as an alternative during pregnancy, it is quite suitable if it is not possible to completely quit smoking in the shortest possible time.