Recently, we have had a lot of questions at our center about smoking during pregnancy – “Is it safe?” “Should I stop?”
The short answer about smoking during pregnancy would be “No” it is not safe. According to the CDC (2017) women who smoke during pregnancy are at increased risk for pregnancy complications. This includes miscarriage, stillbirth, and even ectopic pregnancies (CDC, 2017). This is just to name a few of the complications provided by the CDC (2017).
Smoking (no matter the substance) will affect mother and baby differently depending on the health history of the mom. Marijuana use is on the rise in many states today and with all the publicity it may be an easy choice to choose marijuana over cigarettes. However, according to the CDC marijuana use during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby’s health. “The chemicals in marijuana (in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) pass through your system to your baby and can negatively affect your baby’s development” (CDC, 2017, pdf). Each side effect (whether cigarettes or marijuana) will not affect everyone, but it could affect you or someone you know if you are currently smoking while pregnant. The CDC offers hope that if you decide to quit smoking that your chances of health complications are greatly reduced (CDC, 2017).
If you find yourself thinking that smoking is not for you. Talk to your doctor about the best way to quit smoking. Quitting cold turkey may not be an option right now but a game plan to protect your health is worth considering. If you are not under a doctor’s care or simply would like to speak with one of our nurses, please feel free to call us [760.945.4673]. We will work with you to set up a time for you to meet with a nurse.
*All information provided in this article can be found on the CDC Website and was approved by our Nurse Rebecca.
References
Center for Disease Control. (2017). Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm
Center for Disease Control. (2017). What You Need To Know About Marijuana Use During Pregnancy? Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/pdf/marijuana-pregnancy-508.pdf