As a result of surveys, it was revealed that some women who smoked before pregnancy continue to do so even while expecting a baby. This sad statistic cannot but worry. Even in the last century, studies were carried out all over the world in order to find out the effect of mother's smoking on the fetus. The result is disappointing. Consider how smoking affects pregnancy.
The negative effect of the addiction both on the course of pregnancy and on the health of the child has been empirically proven.
First trimester
The formation of organs and all systems in the embryo occurs in the first three months of pregnancy. After that, they will only grow further. Naturally, this process can be affected by negative factors such as smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction, viral infections. The consequence of a bad habit during this period can be a miscarriage, fetal freezing and the birth of a child with various deformities and pathologies. It has been proven that this indicator is more than 2 times higher among those who abuse smoking. But even if this does not happen, nicotine can cause disturbances in the formation of organs. As a result, the embryo develops various pathologies of internal organs.
Second trimester
By the beginning of the fourth month of pregnancy, the formed fetus begins to receive oxygen and nutrition through the placenta. In women who smoke, due to nicotine, vasoconstriction occurs. This disrupts the placental circulation. Because of this, the supply of oxygen to the placenta and, accordingly, to the embryo decreases. The consequence of which is fetal hypoxia, which leads to pathologies of the brain and other organs. It is also noticed that due to a bad habit in pregnant women, early maturation of the placenta occurs, and its functionality decreases.
Third trimester
In the third trimester in women who smoke, the early matured placenta begins to lose its shape and become thinner. Such a pathology leads to fetal freezing or premature resolution from pregnancy. According to statistics, stillborn children in pregnant women who do not quit smoking occur 25% more often than those who do not have a bad habit. And if a woman smokes a pack or more of cigarettes a day, then this figure increases to 40%. Premature babies often lag behind their peers in development.
In addition, in the placenta of women who smoke, there is a violation of the blood supply. This can lead to premature detachment. Oxygen starvation of the embryo delays the growth and formation of fetal organs and systems. It is noticed that the appetite of smoking women is reduced. Therefore, they eat less, and the fetus does not receive the necessary substances. The mental, physical and intellectual development of the fetus is slowed down.
Children of parents who smoke lag behind their peers in all respects. Babies in women who do not give up a bad habit during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from the following diseases:
- "cleft palate";
- "cleft lip"
- squint;
- heart defects;
- Down syndrome;
- mental retardation, etc.
If a woman wants to give birth to a healthy baby, then she must give up the bad habit. When you can't quit smoking on your own, you should contact a specialist. It is much better to do this while the child is planning.
