Smoking & Alcohol During Pregnancy

If you are a smoker or love your alcohol, we all know how hard it is to stop cold turkey. Of course everyone loves a cocktail every now and then. However, when women become pregnant they have no choice but to quit at least temporarily for nine months. Smoking and consuming alcohol will not only harm yourself during the pregnancy, but it may also cause serious defects or death for your child.

It has been said that 20% of women who are avid smokers will continue to smoke during the beginning of their pregnancy. According to the U.S. Public Health Service, "if all pregnant women in the United States stopped smoking, there would be an estimated 11% reduction in stillbirths and a 5% reduction in newborn deaths." This means that surprisingly many women are not giving up their addictions for their babies.

When the mother smokes during pregnancy, the baby gets less oxygen. This loss of oxygen will slow down their baby's growth. This results in damaging effects, including the baby being born under-weight. If the baby is indeed under-weight and born prematurely, it may develop serious problems such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy. If one is having trouble quitting, it is important to see a health-care professional immediately. Many women have found that writing down the reasons why they need to quit helps. If a mother sees plainly on paper that they are killing their child, their guilt should take control of the situation. Other ways include throwing out all cigarettes and ash-trays, and staying away from places that are smoker-friendly.

Unfortunately, smoking is not the only deadly sin you can commit while pregnant. Alcohol also plays a large role in harming yourself and your baby. According to the U.S. Public Health Service, "more than 40,000 babies are born with some degree of alcohol related damage. Although many women are aware that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects, many do not realize that moderate—or even light—drinking also may harm the foetus." This is because the alcohol goes directly through the placenta to the baby. The worst part is that the baby is often born as an "alcoholic" - meaning that they too have the same withdrawals and side effects. These symptoms include loss of appetite and irritability. Most women do not realize the amount of danger they are putting their baby in.

The most talked about disease due to alcohol consumption is the Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. This disease causes many deformities that cannot be fixed. For instance, facial deformities include small eyes and sagging eye-lids. Other problems include under-development of the rib cage and spine, along with missing fingers or toes. Unfortunately, it does not stop there. Children with this disease are much more likely to have organ failure, kidney and heart problems. These babies may also not develop normally like a healthy child out. Sadly, over 20% of babies who are born with the illness die within days. Therefore, it is very important that women know the consequences if they continue smoking and drinking.

It is surprising to see that so many women choose to continue with their habits, even if it means harming their baby. Perhaps it is because most women do not know the consequences and how serious the diagnosis may be. If they were to know the outcome and that it was all due to alcohol or smoking, then it is likely they would quit. It is necessary to provide women with the correct information in situations like these. Without knowing what will happen, women will continue to smoke and drink - thinking that everything is well and fine.

Articles

[Anaemia]
[Baby Showers]
[Diet]
[Exercise]
[Sex]
[Smoking & Alcohol]
[Stretch Marks]
[Symptoms]
[Teen Prenancy]
[Traveling]