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The Effects of Tobacco on the Fetus

Pregnant women should not smoke. Because the primary methods of imbibing tobacco include exposure to a host of other chemicals like nicotine, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and other carcinogens, it is impossible to distinguish between the effects of only tobacco on fetuses. The harrowing effects of smoke on a fetus can be fatal. Female smokers who use tobacco products through pregnancy put their child at risk for spontaneous abortion, low birth weight and cancer.

  1. Spontaneous Abortion

    • Nicotine's effect on blood flow can lead to spontaneous abortion or miscarriage. A 1902 study of female tobacco factory workers showed that miscarriages were more prevalent among these women than among women who were not exposed to tobacco products. The effect that nicotine has on blood restriction can lead to a detached placenta, also known as placental abruption.

      A 1960-61 study of 10 Ontario hospitals deduced that the rate of perinatal mortality increased with the amount of tobacco consumed. Nonsmokers had the lowest rate of fetal mortality, which increased to 23.3% in women who smoked a pack or less a day. Female smokers who had more than one pack per day saw a 33.4% increase in placental abruption. The lack of blood flow to a smoker's placenta results in decreased oxygen to the fetus, caused by carbon monoxide in cigarettes. The limitation for the exchange of gases reduces the size of fetal capillaries, resulting in abruption.

    Low Birth Weight

    • If a smoking mother's child does survive pregnancy, the risk of low birth weight is undeniable. Low birth weight is defined as less than 2500 grams. The risk of low birth weight in children whose mothers smoke is doubled. The stunted fetal development that results from exposure to tobacco can set your baby on a path to slower development for the rest of their lives. Though it is unknown whether low birth weights can be attributed to the lack of oxygen caused by nicotine's vasoconstrictive properties or by carbon monoxide's contribution to decreased oxygen, the fact is women who use tobacco products will most likely give birth to an underweight baby.

    Cancer

    • Women who use tobacco products during pregnancy not only put themselves at risk for cancer, but also their child. The carcinogens and harmful chemicals in tobacco products can travel through the placental membranes and into fetal tissues. The incidence of mutagens in a developing fetus can lead to cancerous growth after birth and as the child grows. Fetuses exposed to tobacco products in utero are also at higher risk for lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma.

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