The Effects of Smoking to Pregnant Women

Nowadays, smoking is already becoming a habit to many people of both genders. While it is true that smoking has a lot of adverse effects on health, it is even worse in women who smoke, especially those who are pregnant. The adverse smoking effects would not only be perceptible in the mothers but mostly on the baby. Among the most common effects of smoking to pregnant women and babies include:

1. Respiratory diseases -- If the mother smokes, the baby has a bigger chance of developing respiratory infections including asthma. Aside from the mother who smokes during pregnancy, respiratory disease can also be acquired by the baby through second-hand smoke, which is when he is exposed to smoking.

2. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome -- SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is one of the major causes of the rising number infants who died few months after birth. And it has been manifested in relevant studies that smoking mothers (during pregnancy) is one reason why SIDS occurs.

3. Colic -- Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to give birth to babies who are prone to colic. Baby colic refers to a certain condition that occurs to babies in early months from birth. It is often described as an abdominal pain triggered by some sort of obstruction or spasms, which giving the baby with stomach distress and discomfort.

4. Premature birth -- Premature birth usually occurs when the mother smokes during pregnancy. It is a result of the untimely rupture of the membranes as the body's respond to protect the baby from the detrimental smoke. Premature babies are more likely to develop complications including cerebral palsy and in some cases, mental retardation.

5. Miscarriage -- Miscarriage can happen to women who smoke during pregnancy. In this case, it is not only the baby's life that is wasted but the mother's life is also at risk. These are just five of the major threats of smoking to pregnancy. Knowing these horrible possibilities is enough motivation for any women, especially those who are pregnant to get rid of smoking before it is too late.