Pregnancy
Most expecting mothers know alcohol is dangerous, but less know about the dangers of smoking - vaping & cigarettes.
According to Dr Adeléne Esterhuizen, Admitting & Referring OBGYN at Mediclinic Hermanus, healthcare professionals have noticed that there is a gap in awareness about smoking while pregnant, especially when it comes to e-cigarettes and vaping. The best time to stop smoking is before pregnancy, while still planning for a family, but quitting at any time during pregnancy can improve the baby’s start in life. Most pregnant women who smoke want to quit, but quitting isn’t always easy.
What’s more, moms who are pregnant and still smoking may feel ashamed and isolated. The right kind of support can help a pregnant woman get through the unique challenges of quitting during this phase of their life. Moms who are regular smokers before pregnancy can work on a quitting plan with their doctor.
Why cigarettes and e-cigarettes are risky for the baby
Smoking while pregnant reduces the amount of oxygen the unborn baby receives, while also exposing them to toxic chemicals such as nicotine, lead and carbon dioxide. Other damaging effects of using cigarettes and e-cigarettes include:
- Babies may be born smaller than expected, even after a full-term pregnancy, because smoking can slow growth in the womb.
- Smoking increases the risk of premature birth, which can lead to a range of health complications for newborns.
- Exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy can affect the development of a baby’s lungs and brain, with effects that may continue into childhood and adolescence.
- Smoking also doubles the risk of abnormal bleeding during pregnancy and childbirth, placing both mother and baby at risk.
- There is an increased risk of certain birth defects, including cleft lip and cleft palate, which can affect feeding and may require surgery.
- Babies exposed to smoking during pregnancy, or to cigarette smoke after birth, have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Why cigarettes and e-cigarettes are risky for the mother
Smoking while pregnant not only affects the baby, but it can also cause complications for the mother, some of these are:
- Ectopic pregnancy: This is a pregnancy outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube
- Foetal death: death of the baby in the uterus (also known as a stillbirth)
- Spontaneous abortion, which is also classified as a miscarriage
- Problems with the placenta, this includes early detachment from the uterine wall and blocking the cervical opening (placenta praevia)
- Premature rupture of the membranes
- Premature labour
Vaping is no exception
There is a misconception that vaping while pregnant is safe; it is not. Like cigarettes, vapes are dangerous and harmful. We challenge some of the myths around vaping during pregnant:
Myth: Vaping is a safe alternative to cigarettes
This is the most common myth. The packaging and flavours of vaping products make them seem innocent enough but vaping while pregnant is known to directly harm foetuses by causing abnormal lung, heart, brain, and immune system development.
Myth: Vaping can help mothers quit smoking
Another harmful myth. The reality is that vaping can keep patients addicted to nicotine, mainly because vaping is more socially acceptable than smoking cigarettes. Additionally, the fruity flavours often taste better than cigarettes, which keeps smokers coming back for more, which is a slippery slope considering the amount of nicotine in vapes is not regulated and isn’t always labelled appropriately on the package.
Myth: Vaping is safer than going cold turkey
Most pregnant women who are smokers worry that quitting cold turkey will cause the baby to suffer nicotine withdrawal; this is not the case. Vaping is not a safe alternative to cigarettes during pregnancy.