Smoking during pregnancy

A woman who smokes during pregnancy exposes her baby to harmful chemical substances such as tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide.

These substances create barriers to the intake of sufficient nutrients and oxygen by the fetus.

Additionally, women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to develop:

• vaginal bleeding
• placental dysfunction
• give birth to a low-weight baby
• extrauterine gestation
• Give birth to a stillborn fetus

Smoking during pregnancy affects your baby post-birth as well

Smoking during pregnancy is known to cause:

• A weak and disease prone baby
• Mental disorders
• A higher risk for sudden death syndrome
• Asthma

Regular exposure to passive smoking leads to almost the same consequences

Quitting smoking is one of the best gifts you can give to your baby.

Ask family and friends to support your decision to quit smoking.

Ask your colleagues at work not to smoke in your working space.

If you are finding that stopping smoking is a daunting task, seek help at the specialised centres for quitting smoking.