The only thing worse than seeing a smoking Mum nursing a baby, is seeing a pregnant Mum sucking on a cigarette. Before the child even has the knowledge or the power to be able to move away from toxic fumes they are being blown in its face, or pumped through the blood supply of the pre-born child. Most Mothers-to-be that have been smokers in the past find that they cannot enjoy smoking during pregnancy. Perhaps this is nature’s way of telling us that we should really not be doing it while we are growing a baby anyway! I have heard the most frightening justifications from women who really cannot kick the habit while they are pregnant. “It relieves my stress,” “It will stop me gaining too much weight,” and the worse one of all, “It will keep my baby small so I have an easier birth”. Scary! When you light your cigarette in pregnancy or around a young child, you're not the only one who smokes - your baby does to! Not a good habit anyway, smoking can have serious consequences for your baby if you keep it up throughout your pregnancy.
Have a look at the reasons below to know why you must stop smoking in pregnancy:
- You're more likely to have a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby.
- You'll be able to cope better with the birth or with any birth complication.
- Your baby is less likely to be born too early and have to face the additional breathing, feeding and health problems which so often go with prematurity.
- Your baby is less likely to be born underweight and have extra problems in keeping warm
- You will reduce the risk of cot death for your baby. A new study of 25,102 children has found that maternal smoking nearly doubles the risk of stillbirth and infant mortality in the first year of life. This hospital study examined the association between exposure to tobacco smoke in utero and the risk of death and found that the risk of still birth and infant mortality was almost double in children born to smokers compared with the children of non-smokers.
- Your baby is less likely to suffer from asthma later in life. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer later on from illnesses like asthma. Research has found that maternal smoking was associated with asthma, an increase in phlegm, breathlessness, chronic cough and wheezing in their children. More than 17 percent of adult-onset asthma was directly caused by maternal smoking and 9.3 percent was caused by exposure to passive smoking by other cigarette smoking household members.
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Your child will be more content. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from behavioral disorders. Research has shown that the more cigarettes a mother smoked during pregnancy, the greater the likelihood her child would demonstrate severe behavior problems as the child became older. Women who smoked at least a pack a day had children with twice the rate of extreme behavior problems - such as anxiety, attention deficit disorder, conflict with others, or disobedience, when compared with children of non-smokers.
- And last of all, you are much more likely to be here to enjoy your children’s children if you don’t smoke!
Remember that when other people smoke around you, they are still causing harm to your unborn baby who is inhaling the smoke anyway. So if someone around you smokes, move away, or politely ask the offending smoker to move to a smoker’s area or outside.
If after digesting all this damning evidence you still can’t kick the habit, (and you really do want to!), try contacting a hypno-therapist for some advise on quitting. (Bali- Holistic Healing Center Ph. 766259).
So how old should your child be when they smoke?– You tell me!
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Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail at info@chcbali.com”.
