Smoking and your family
You may have trouble getting pregnant. Women who smoke have more menstrual problems and are more likely to have a tubal pregnancy. If the father-to-be smokes, it can change sperm shape and reduce the number of sperm.
There are over 4,000 chemicals including carbon monoxide and nicotine in tobacco smoke. Several of these chemicals pass through the placenta into the baby's blood.
When you smoke or breathe second hand smoke, you cut down on your baby's oxygen supply by 25 per cent. This interferes with your baby's growth. Nicotine also affects your baby by slowing down the development of your baby's lungs and air passages.
If you smoke while you are pregnant you are more likely to: miscarry a healthy baby; deliver a premature baby; deliver a low birthweight baby; lose your baby during childbirth; experience more problems in labour/delivery; lose your baby from Crib Death (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Breast milk is best for your baby, however, nicotine and other chemicals pass through breast milk. These chemicals stay in the breast milk for up to five hours after the last cigarette. Breast milk affected by tobacco smoke may cause your baby to be fussy, distrub the baby's sleep and cause vomiting.
Smoking hurts more than just your child's lungs. Children who live in a home where a person smokes may: develop colds, coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma and be hospitalized during their first year of life because of these illnesses; develop ear infections or have eye defects; have behavioural problems like hyperactivity; be three to five months behind in reading and math skills; become a casualty of a household fire; eat cigarette butts left in an ashtray - four butts can kill a baby!
A small child held by someone smoking will breathe in more cancer-causing chemicals than the smoker.
You are your child's most important role model. If you smoke, your child is twice as likely to smoke. Remember, you and your family play an important role in your child's decision to smoke!
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