Monday, July 7, 2008

Pregnancy and Smoking

I saw a news report once that showed a woman having an ultrasound. You could see the baby's heart beating and the lungs expanding. Then the women smoked a cigarette and the heart of the baby stopped beating and the lungs stopped moving. I can't imagine any woman who would see what she is doing to her child--that she would continue smoking but that just shows you how powerful the addiction to nicotine really is.
Pregnant women who spontaneous quit, also need to be aware that they are at high risk for relapsing once they deliver, yet is is also important to not smoke around the newborn as secondhand and third hand (components of smoke lingering on clothes, ete) will affect the newborn.
there is an excellent article about pregnancy and smoking:
http://www.therightpills.com/pregnancy-childbirth/pregnancy-to-smoke-or-not-to-smoke/

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