Smoking: Problems With Pregnancy
Topic Overview
If you are a woman who smokes and you are thinking about getting pregnant or are pregnant, now is a good time to quit smoking. Women who smoke may have a harder time getting pregnant. Women who smoke are more likely to have the following problems:1
- Stillbirths and miscarriages.
- Babies who grow more slowly in the uterus and weigh less than expected when born (low birth weight).
- Children who have learning, emotional, and behavioral problems.
If you quit smoking before you become pregnant (or sometime during
the first 3 months of your pregnancy), your risk of having a baby with low
birth weight is the same as that of a woman who does not smoke. Women who quit
later in their pregnancy still reduce the risk of problems for their
babies.
References
Citations
- Fiore MC, et al. (2000). Clinical Practice Guideline: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. Rockville, MD:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Also available online:
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use.pdf.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | John Hughes, MD - Psychiatry |
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| Last Revised | July 6, 2011 |
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Last Revised:
July 6, 2011
Fiore MC, et al. (2000). Clinical Practice Guideline: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. Rockville, MD:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Also available online:
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use.pdf.
