If you are pregnant and still smoking you are not alone – some 17% of women carry on smoking throughout their pregnancy.
But there are plenty of reasons why you should give up. Here are some of them:
- Smokers are 25% more likely to suffer a miscarriage while pregnant. The chance of a premature birth is almost doubled if you smoke during pregnancy.
- The babies of some smokers actually experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms after birth.
- Smoking starves the foetus of oxygen, affecting your baby’s development.
- Even passive smoking can harm your unborn child. On average, babies born to the partners of smokers weigh less than the babies of non-smoking parents.
- The risk of cot death is almost trebled in children whose mothers smoke during and after pregnancy.
If you can give up the cigarettes before or while you are pregnant, you will be more likely to stay off the habit after the birth too. The following facts may help you kick it for good:
- Breastfeeding mums who smoke produce less milk than non-smokers. Smokers’ breast milk contains fewer lipids and can be of poorer quality.
- In the UK, 17,000 children under five are admitted to hospital each year with illnesses caused by passive smoking.
- Up to 4,500 new cases of asthma are diagnosed in children every year as a result of parental smoking.
- The risk of cot death is quadrupled for a child whose parents both smoke – even if you quit smoking while you were pregnant.
If you are pregnant and want to give up, call the specialist pregnant smokers quitline on 0800 1699 169.
