How is an unborn baby harmed by tobacco smoke?
When a pregnant woman smokes, not only is she exposing her body to the harmful smoke and poisons that come from cigarettes, but her baby's body as well. The baby's development is affected by the chemicals that flow to it via the bloodstream. Most often, the baby is harmed. Smoking while pregnant leads to:
- less oxygen supplied to the mom thus not enough reaching the baby
- the babies heart rate increasing
- an increased chance of having a miscarriage or stillbirth
- the baby being born premature and/or with a low birth weight
- certain birth defects such as cleft palate or cleft lip
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome