Smoking in pregnancy is a significant health problem for the mother and the baby.
Most women will quit smoking before they become pregnant, others will quit once
their pregnancy has been confirmed by a Doctor and some will continue
to smoke whilst pregnant when they know the risks. Why? Are they simply choosing
to smoke whilst pregnant or is it down to a lack of education? This essay will look
into the dangers of smoking, the effects this can have on your unborn child and the
reason expectant mothers may continue to smoke and also what advice and support
is available to help pregnant women stop smoking. This essay will also include two
Interviews with two mothers who have admitted to smoking during pregnancy. They
Will explain the reason behind why they continued to smoke during pregnancy and
What-if any-health implications this has had on their children.
It's never surprising to hear that smoking is not healthy in pregnancy (or ever) but studies have shown that smoking during pregnancy reduces the chance of preeclampsia, a life-threatening disease characterized by high blood-pressure and a build up of protein in the urine.
Newborn child, seconds after birth. The umbilical ...
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
English: An intubated female premature infant born..."Using a database with information on more than 300,000 births between 2004 and 2006, the researchers found that women who smoked during pregnancy had a slightly lower rate of preeclampsia - 1.2 percent, versus 1.5 percent among non-smokers" from Reuters.
This is old news. But it's relevance has popped up again in the context of a new study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, showing that smokers who develop preeclampsia in pregnancy may be at higher risk for complications associated with the disorder. These complications include preterm delivery, low-birth weight and stillbirth.
Though most pregnant women who develop precclampsia deliver healthy babies, the condition is serious...