Do You Even Know You Are Killing Your Baby?

            It is thought to be common knowledge that there are numerous negative health effects on a fetus and child when the infant or child is exposed to cigarette smoke before or after birth.  However, 15% - 37% of women still smoke during the time that they are pregnant.  There have been many longitudinal and case studies to explain the negative implications of smoking during pregnancy, yet women are still not grasping just how crucial abstaining from smoking really is.

            In a review of literature, researchers found that women who smoke in general (pregnant or not pregnant) are at an increased risk of infertility.  Women who do smoke during pregnancy are at an increased risk for preterm birth as well as perinatal mortality. 

Researchers also strongly suggest that the effects of the fetus and the child are not to be overlooked.  A reduction in birth weight and length has been correlated with women who are active smokers during pregnancy.  This is primarily because when a women smokes, less oxygen reaches the placenta, which results in chronic hypoxic stress on the fetus. 

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is another major risk factor during infancy when the infant is exposed to smoke. Researchers suggest that when an infant is exposed to smoke, the risk of SIDS is doubled.  Literature suggests that the reasons for SIDS being linked with prenatal and postnatal smoking have to do with abnormal brain development as well as disturbed respiratory control mechanisms.

             Researchers also suggest that there is an increased risk of infections and illness in infancy with women who smoke during and after pregnancy.  There are also implications that middle ear infection, decreased lung function, wheezing, asthma, abnormal neurodevelopment, behavioral problems, allergic reactions, and childhood cancer, are all linked to mothers who smoke during and after pregnancy.

            One of the limitations of this study was that the literature review only selected certain pieces of literature and focused on certain negative effects on the fetus and child when they are exposed to smoke.  Though the article gave an excellent overview, there were many negative effects that were missing.

            Overall, the negative effects on the fetus and the child, when the mother chooses to smoke, are too numerous to count.  Implications for this research are to better educate women during their prenatal care about the negative effects of smoking during and after pregnancy.  There should also be more organizations helping to raise awareness of just how horrible smoking can be for a fetus and child.  Some mothers may potentially be causing harm to their child without fully knowing that they are doing it.  With better educational programs, there could be a significant reduction of infant deaths.

Abstract

Hofhuis, W. and Jongste, J. C. and Merkus, P. J. F. M. (2003), Adverse health effects of prenatal and postnatal tobacco smoke exposure on children. Community child health, public health, and epidemiology, 88(12), 1086-1090. doi:10.1136/adc.88.12.1086