Smoking Effects on Unborn Babies

Growth

• According to the Stanford University School of Medicine, smoking while pregnant can cause placental abruption, a condition that makes the placenta remove from the uterine wall. Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to have underdeveloped babies with low birth weights because the placenta is responsible for transferring oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the fetus. The Stanford University School of Medicine also reports that inadequately nourished fetuses are also more likely to be born prematurely.

Brain Function

• Children whose mothers smoked while they were pregnant have an increased risk of developing cognitive problems. According to the Stanford University School of Medicine, unborn babies exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb may be up to 50 percent more likely to have some form of mental retardation. The university also reported that exposure to cigarette smoke during fetal development increases the risk of children developing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that affects the ability to concentrate and control behavior.

Lung Function

• The American Cancer Society reports that exposure to cigarette smoke decreases lung function; therefore, when pregnant women smoke, they pass on toxins such as carbon monoxide and nicotine to their unborn babies. When nicotine is passed through the placenta to the baby, it can alter the development of lung cells and keep the baby from getting the necessary amounts of oxygen.

Birth Defects

• According to the 2004 Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking, women who smoke while pregnant increase the chance that their babies will develop oral birth defects such as cleft palate and cleft lift. Cleft conditions occur when a baby's nose, jaw and mouth don't properly form with the roof of the mouth or upper lip during fetal development. The Surgeon General Report found that pregnant women who smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day were most at risk of having babies with cleft birth defects.

Mortality

• The 2004 Surgeon General's Report states that women who smoke while pregnant increase the chances of losing their unborn babies through complications such as miscarriage or stillbirth. Ingredients in cigarettes (e.g., carbon monoxide, nicotine, lead) can be poisonous to developing babies and may lead to embryo abnormalities that ultimately terminate a pregnancy. The 2004 Surgeon General's Report also states that smoking contributes to ectopic pregnancy, a dangerous condition in which a baby develops in the Fallopian tubes instead of the uterus.