Smoking and pregnancy

[chenglorraine]

What is the additional problems could smoking cause in pregnant women?
and what effect does it have on the oxygen capacity of the blood?

[bionewbie]

First of all, smoking impairs the fertility of woman in general. Specifically to pregnant woman, smoking places additional risks on the pregnancy. Second hand smoke can cross the placenta. Carbon monoxide can and will harm the fetus.

Smoking causes vasoconstriction and decreases the amount of blood that perfuses to the placenta. The ability of the hemoglobin to carry oxygen is decreased.

Also, smoking increases the chances for miscarriages, fetal anomalies, preterm births, sudden infant death syndrome. There is also greater chances for a low-birth weight baby.

[Navin]

Smoking causes vasoconstriction and decreases the amount of blood that perfuses to the placenta.

Yes and that is caused by the nicotine present in smoke.

[bionewbie]

*nods* That's why health professionals strongly advise women who wishes to become pregnant or who are pregnant to quit smoking. The fetus is especially attuned to the physiological changes of the mother.

[Dr.Stein]

If you need a scientific article about this topic, please read this one, it gives you a lot of information and it is nice to read. You know sometimes scientific articles are hard to understand and act as a good lullaby hehe

Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy
By Richard W. Pressinger, M.Ed.
Graduate Research Project - June 1998 - Special Education Department
University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

http://www.chem-tox.com/pregnancy/smoking.htm