Smoking is unhealthy. And during pregnancy, cigarettes harm not only the mother, but also the unborn child. One more reason to give up smoking.
Table of contents
- What consequences does smoking during pregnancy have on the child?
- Smoking during pregnancy: How to quit smoking
- Why staying smoke-free is important even after birth
Cigarette smoke contains around 250 toxic and carcinogenic substances that smokers use to endanger their health. When smoking during pregnancy, we not only endanger our own health, but also that of our unborn child.
Studiesshow that around 11% of women smoke during pregnancy, although this poses significant risks to the baby's development.
You can read here what consequences active and passive cigarette smoke can have on your unborn child and lots of other important information about the risks that smoking during pregnancy poses for you and your baby. We also have a few practical tips and contact points to make it easier for you to stop smoking and finally become a non-smoker.
What consequences does smoking during pregnancy have on the child?
Nicotine is an insidious chemical. “Smoking during pregnancy can have various effects on the development of the child. The toxins in cigarette smoke reach the child via the umbilical cord. The carbon monoxide inhaled when smoking causes the child to receive less oxygen and nutrients and the heart beats faster," says Michaela Goecke from the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA).
The neurotoxin nicotine, which has a vasoconstrictor effect and impairs lung development, also reaches the embryo via the mother. “The risk of a premature birth or miscarriage is increased,” says Michaela Goecke.
Possible complications for babies born to smokers
Babies of smokers are usually born smaller and are more likely to suffer from respiratory diseases such as asthma.
Allergies and cleft lip and palate are also more common. Increased middle ear infections, behavioral problems and obesity are also suspected to be direct consequences of active smoking during pregnancy.
Therefore: “Smoking is the most important preventable risk factor for unsuccessful pregnancies. Anyone who stops smoking during pregnancy or beforehand significantly improves the baby's starting conditions. We therefore advise all pregnant women and women who want to have children to stop smoking immediately,” says Michaela Goecke from the BZgA.
Passive smoking during pregnancy is also bad for mother and child.
Pregnant women who do not smoke themselves but often come into contact with people who smoke should also be careful, as passive smoke is also harmful to them and the unborn child. For example, if your partner smokes, the person smoking should do so outside the home and not near the pregnant woman.
Secondhand smoke increases the risk of miscarriages, developmental disorders and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Pollutant particles also settle on furniture, clothing and carpets and can continue to have an impact.
Also read:
Pregnancy in pictures: This is how the embryo develops in your stomach
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Ultrasound images of a pregnancy: This is how the embryo develops
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1st ultrasound image 4th week of pregnancy
1. Ultrasound in the 4th week of pregnancy:
The fertilized egg, which is shaped like a small bean 3 mm in diameter, has just implanted. A white border is visible around it, which later forms into the placenta. The rest of the picture shows the well-developed uterine lining (endometrium).
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Ultrasound image 5th week of pregnancy
Ultrasound in the 5th week of pregnancy:
The embryo is clearly visible as a black spot on the right in the picture.
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Ultrasound image 6th week of pregnancy
Ultrasound in the 6th week of pregnancy:
The amniotic sac (black) is clearly visible here. The embryo, which measures around 5 mm here, is visible as a small thickening in the amniotic sac. The heartbeat could already be observed in the moving ultrasound image.
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Ultrasound image 7th week of pregnancy
Ultrasound in the 7th week of pregnancy:
The embryo (clearly visible in the dark amniotic sac on the left in the picture) measures 7 mm. It now curves and reveals two poles: at the top is the head, which will be disproportionately large for a long time, and at the bottom is the rest of the body. On the right above the embryo you can clearly see the yolk sac, through which the embryo is currently being supplied.
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Ultrasound in the 8th week of pregnancy
Ultrasound in the 8th week of pregnancy:
The embryo now measures about 16 mm. You can clearly see the head, body and even the bases of the arms and legs (each about 1-2 mm long). You can also see the roots of the brain in the head.
The moving ultrasound image showed the first uncontrolled movements of the embryo.
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Ultrasound in the 9th week of pregnancy
Ultrasound in the 9th week of pregnancy:
The embryo now measures 22 mm. Clear movements could be seen in the moving ultrasound image. The structure of the spine is now visible. The bases of the arms and legs are each about 5 mm long, and the bases of the fingers slowly lift away from the rest of the hand.
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Ultrasound in the 10th week of pregnancy
Ultrasound in the 10th week of pregnancy:
The embryo now measures 3 cm SSL (crown-rump length). The two cerebral hemispheres (hemispheres) are located in the brain. The face is developing, the eye area can already be seen.
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Ultrasound in the 11th week of pregnancy
Ultrasound in the 11th week of pregnancy:
The embryo now measures 4.5 cm. On the ultrasound image you can see the legs, which are bent at the knee, and the feet (top right). The toes are already well developed and the embryo was kicking its legs vigorously in the moving ultrasound image.
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Ultrasound in the 12th week of pregnancy
Ultrasound in the 12th week of pregnancy:
In the picture you can see the baby's head (left) and part of the upper body (right). The small nose and the mouth area are clearly visible. In the mouth you can clearly see the structure of the teeth.
This ultrasound was carried out as part of the first major check-up, which took place between the 9th and 12th weeks of pregnancy. Now is also the best time for chorionic villus sampling and nuchal fold measurement to rule out certain diseases in the baby.
Smoking during pregnancy: How to quit smoking
If you want to become pregnant, it is best to stop smoking before you become pregnant. Because smoking reduces fertility. However, it is never too late to stop smoking, even during pregnancy. If you stop before the 15th week of pregnancy, the risk of premature birth and complications decreases significantly!
By the way:It is a rumor that cold withdrawal from smoking is harmful to the embryo. You don't have to gradually reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke; you can stop from one day to the next. Help with quitting smoking is available from, among othersBZgA.
Tips for quitting smoking quickly
The path to becoming a non-smoker begins in your head. Only those who have the real will to give up cigarettes from now on will be successful. If you are only half-hearted about the matter, you will always find excuses. What can help you are the following things:
- Set a specific day to quit smoking and eliminate anything that might tempt you.
- Do breathing and/or concentration exercises when the urge threatens to overwhelm you.
- Break with your old (smoking) routines and create new ones. For example, if you like to grab a cigarette in or after stressful situations, treat yourself to a hot cup of tea, coffee or a healthy snack to give yourself a break. If you would like to bridge waiting times with a cigarette, listen to music, an audio book, read something or solve a Sudoku instead. You are allowed to distract yourself from desire.
- Treat yourself to rewards when you have achieved a certain period of time without smoking and always remind yourself that you are giving yourself and your child a great gift: both of your health.
It's never too late to stop smoking!
It can be damn hard to quit smoking. That's why you should always remember: every cigarette you don't smoke improves your chances of a healthy pregnancy and the best possible development of your child.
Why staying smoke-free is important even after birth
Want to start smoking again immediately after pregnancy? Not a good idea. Michaela Goerke: “It is best for mother and child to remain smoke-free even after the birth. Ingredients from tobacco smoke can be absorbed by infants through breast milk. Onefrom the dangers of passive smoking, which include the increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome.”
Sources and further information:
- Familienplanung.de
- Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA)
- Professional Association of Gynecologists
Other pregnancy topics:
