Attached to the baby's umbilical cord is the placenta, pregnant smoking transfers substances like food and oxygen from the mother's bloodstream to the baby. It effectively means that anything that enters a mother's bloodstream can reach the baby. While food and oxygen are essential and good for the baby, harmful substances can also find their way into the baby's body. For this reason, staying healthy and giving up habits that could harm the unborn baby becomes crucial during this period. Smoking and drinking excessive alcohol are two habits that pregnant women must say goodbye to - both can cause harmful complications for the baby, or even lead to death. Read on for the relationship between smoking, and drinking among pregnant women.

Smoking and Pregnancy

Tobacco in cigarettes contains nicotine, tar products, carbon monoxide, and arsenic, all of which are harmful to the baby. Smoking during pregnancy reduces the amount of blood flowing through the placenta, which slows down growth in the baby. Women who smoke during pregnancy are at a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Babies born to mothers who smoke are at a higher risk of illnesses like colds, ear infections, bronchitis, asthma, etc., and breathing problems later in childhood. Since smoking can be a difficult habit to leave, some pregnant women might assume that smoking might be all right as long as they do not inhale the smoke. However, the tobacco gets absorbed in the mouth and throat through the mucous membranes, and all harmful substances in the smoke can still reach the baby. Further, passive smoking or second-hand smoke can also cause pregnancy complications. Women who do not smoke but are around people or in smoking zones expose their babies to the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Alcohol Pregnancy and pregnant smoking

Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy increase the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in their babies, along with the risk of a miscarriage. FAS manifests in the form of various physical and mental disorders like:

Reduced intellectual ability
Cleft palate
Defects in heart
Disability in arms, legs, face, and fingers
Reduced attention span
Hyperactivity

Is there a safe limit for drinking alcohol during pregnancy?

The Answer is No There is no conclusive evidence to guide us regarding how much alcohol could be safe during pregnancy, as everybody reacts differently to alcohol. Further, the more a mother drinks, the more it is also received by the baby. It is best to completely avoid alcohol during the entire term of pregnancy. Alcohol is particularly harmful to the baby during the first trimester, wherein all major organs like the heart, brain, and lungs develop. This makes it important to stop alcohol even before becoming pregnant, as it could be a few weeks before a woman realizes she has conceived. The baby inside the womb does not have a choice over its nutrition, but his/her mother does - staying healthy and staying away from harmful substances are the best gifts for the baby during this time. Read About: The Ill Effects Of Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy