SMOKING AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH-2

Smoking can affect your baby's health

First of all, up to 5% of infant deaths would be prevented if pregnant women did not smoke.
More than 10% of women smoke throughout their pregnancies -- some studies put the number at 16% or higher. Smoking is linked to an increased risk of early delivery and infant death. Research also suggests that infants of mothers who smoke during and after pregnancy are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than babies born to non-smoking mothers. The risk of SIDS is somewhat less for infants whose mothers stop smoking during pregnancy, even if they start smoking again after delivery.
Of the women who are able to stop smoking during pregnancy, only 1 out of 3 stay quit a year after the delivery. But infants of non-smoking mothers have the lowest risk of SIDS.
Smoking during pregnancy causes low birth weight in at least 1 in 5 infants. Smoking during pregnancy slows fetal growth. This often causes babies to have health problems as a result of being born underweight. Women who stop smoking before they get pregnant reduce their risk of having a low birth weight baby to that of women who never smoked. Even women who quit during the first 3 to 4 months of pregnancy have much healthier babies than those who keep smoking.
Many women are able to quit smoking during early pregnancy. But women who have mood disorders, such as depression, often find it much harder to quit. Researchers have learned that between one-third and one-half of women who smoke during pregnancy have a mood disorder. It can be harder for pregnant women to find treatment for depression, anxiety, or nicotine withdrawal with medicines because of concerns about the drugs hurting the fetus. Counseling or mental health therapy may help some of these women. If the woman is unable to quit smoking with therapy, she may want to talk with her doctor about other things she can try.
After a baby is born, some harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke can also be passed on through breast milk. This can affect a baby right away. For instance, infants who were breast-fed by mothers who smoked slept for a full half-hour less than when the mothers didn't smoke (this was measured over 3½ hours right after breast feeding).
If you managed to quit smoking while you were pregnant, don't pick up the habit again after the baby is born. When you find yourself tempted to start back, get help right away. And keep in mind that parents who smoke are more likely to have children who smoke. So if you stay quit your child stands a better chance of never starting.

WOMEN AND SMOKING-3

INFERTILITY and SMOKING      

Is a baby part of your future plans? Many women today delay childbirth until they are in their thirties or even forties, which can cause fertility problems even for nonsmoking women. But women who smoke and delay childbirth are putting themselves at a substantially greater risk of future infertility than nonsmokers.

The fact is women smokers have around 72 percent of the fertility of nonsmokers. When all other factors are equal, it is 3.4 times more likely that smokers will require over one year to conceive.

Increasingly, studies are showing that decreased ovulatory response, as well as the fertilization and implantation of the zygote may be impaired in women who smoke. Thought is also given that chemicals in tobacco may alter the cervical fluid, making it toxic to sperm causing pregnancy to be difficult to achieve.

We can't leave the men out on this one, though. Men smokers are 50 percent more likely to become impotent. Some of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes may result in gene mutations that can cause miscarriage, birth defects, cancer, and other health problems in their children.

WOMEN AND SMOKING-2

Pregnancy and Smoking

Chemicals in tobacco are passed from pregnant mothers through the blood stream to the fetus. These toxic chemicals present serious risks to the unborn child, as well as the mother. According to "Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century," by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, "Smoking during pregnancy is associated with preterm delivery, low birthweight, premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, miscarriage, and neonatal death. New borns whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have the same nicotine levels in their bloodstream's as adults who smoke, and they go through withdrawal during their first days of life."

Children born to mothers who smoke experience more colds, ear aches, respiratory problems, and illnesses requiring visits to the pediatrician than children born to nonsmokers.

WOMEN AND SMOKING-5

Oral Contraceptives and Smoking

Do you use oral contraceptives or another hormonal method of birth control? Women smokers who use oral contraceptives risk serious consequences including increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. This risk increases with age and women over 35 who smoke should not use oral contraceptives.

Historically, a mild elevation in blood pressure often occurred in pill users. However, blood pressure often returned to normal "prepill" levels once oral contraceptives were discontinued. New studies indicate that high blood pressure is not a common problem for todays Pill users, nonetheless all women using oral contraceptives should have their blood pressure checked every six to twelve months.