Will smoking during pregnancy affect the fetus?

There are many taboos for pregnant women, such as not eating spicy, cold and irritating foods, not drinking alcohol, etc. If these taboos are violated, it may affect the healthy development of the fetus in the pregnant woman's belly. Smoking is a behavior that many people engage in. It has a certain impact on the fetus. So will smoking during the fourth month of pregnancy affect the fetus? Let's introduce it in detail below.

Here we will briefly explain the harm of smoking to pregnant women, fetuses and children from the three stages of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and postpartum.

Before pregnancy: Studies have shown that women who smoke have a 30% lower chance of getting pregnant than non-smoking women. Smoking can also reduce the fertility potential of male sperm.

During pregnancy: Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarettes can reduce blood supply to the placenta, making the fetus more likely to have intrauterine growth retardation, and also increase the chances of premature birth and even miscarriage. According to statistics, pregnant women who smoke are twice as likely to give birth to low birth weight babies (birth weight less than 2500 grams) as non-smoking pregnant women! The main reasons for low birth weight in babies are intrauterine growth retardation and premature birth. Recent reports have also pointed out that if pregnant women smoke during the first three months of pregnancy, they may increase the chances of certain congenital defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

Smoking increases the chance of ectopic pregnancy, as well as placenta previa and placental abruption, the latter two of which are the main causes of uterine bleeding in late pregnancy.

If you smoke during pregnancy or frequently inhale secondhand smoke, your child will be more likely to have learning disabilities or behavioral problems in the future.

Postpartum: Children raised by smoking mothers are twice as likely to suffer from sudden infant death syndrome as those whose mothers do not smoke. If children frequently inhale secondhand smoke, their chances of developing asthma, pneumonia and otitis media will increase.

Therefore, there is no better time than now to quit smoking. If you don't smoke, it's best not to smoke forever; if you are smoking, you should quit immediately; if you are preparing to get pregnant or are already pregnant, never smoke and stay away from smoke; if you are postpartum and raising a child, you still shouldn't smoke unless you don't want your child to be smart and healthy.