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Effects of Nicotine on Babies

Cigarettes and other nicotine-containing substances have ill effects on your health. You also know it's probably not a good idea to smoke when you're pregnant or around a newborn--but do you know why?

  1. Birth Weight and Prematurity

    • Babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy face higher risk of prematurity. Even those who make it full term in the womb will likely have growth restriction, resulting in low birth weight.

    Breastfeeding

    • The danger doesn't stop out of the womb. If you smoke, nicotine travels into breast milk and eventually to your baby.

    Secondhand Smoke

    • Research from the University of California states that infants who inhale smoke secondhand face the same risks as those who obtain nicotine from breast milk.

    Brain Development

    • Regardless of how it's consumed, nicotine affects your baby's brain in a number of ways. For instance, inhaling smoke effects your child's ability to interpret and respond to sounds around them. Children exposed to smoke as babies are also more likely to face problems with their attention span.

    Sleep Patterns

    • According to the Monell Chemical Senses Center, nicotine disrupts a baby's sleep patterns. The disrupted sleep results in an all-around fussier baby.

    Considerations

    • These findings do not exclude smokeless tobacco, which still delivers doses of nicotine to your baby, causing the same effects.

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