Without being pregnant smoking still harms the human body, however, smoking while being pregnant can cause serious harm to the unborn fetus. Besides the 4,000 chemicals that are contained in cigarettes, nicotine and carbon monoxide play a role in having complications during a pregnancy.
In 2004, information was gathered about women smoking while pregnant that showed that 11.9% of babies were born with a lower birth-rate than average than compared to nonsmokers with a 7.2%. Smoking has been known to be a cause to many illnesses has been known to cause slow fetal growth. Smoking also increases the risk of having of a preterm pregnancy. "However, if a woman stops smoking even by the end of her second trimester of pregnancy, she is no more likely to have a low-birthweight baby than a woman who never smoked."
Smoking not only effects an unborn fetus's growth during a pregnancy but can double the risk of causing placental problems. Placenta previa is a low-lying placenta that covers a part or all of the opening of the uterus and placental abruption is when a placenta peels away, partly of almost completelt from the uterine wall before labor begins. Both placedntal problems can cause heavy bleeding during labor. If a rupture occurs before 37 weeks often results in a premature baby.
Even if a nonsmoking pregnant woman exposes themselves to secondhand smoke they are likely to have a lower birthweight. It is highly advisable for pregnant women to stay clear from secondhand smoke. "Babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are up to three times as likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) as babies of nonsmokers."
http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1171.asp
This is really sad that an innocent baby will have to go through this trouble just because a mother was selfish enough to be smoking during pregnancy. That is true if nonsmoking pregnant women can have effects of secondhand smoking how more pregnant women actually smoking. Very true indeed
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