Does cigarette smoke get through to the unborn baby?
Yes, when the mother smokes, so does the baby. Smokers take in poisons such as nicotine and carbon monoxide (the same gas that comes out of a car’s exhaust pipe). These poisons get into the placenta, which is the tissue that connects the mother and the baby before it is born. These poisons keep the unborn baby from getting the food and oxygen needed to grow. Don’t some mothers smoke during pregnancy and have healthy babies? They are the lucky ones! If a woman smokes during pregnancy she takes a big chance with her baby’s health. There is a greater chance that she will lose the baby during pregnancy. The baby could also be born too early, before the lungs are ready, so he or she will have trouble breathing. Why take a chance when there is so much to lose? If a mother who smokes breast feeds her baby, does the nicotine get into her milk? Breast feeding is a good way to feed a new baby but smoking may cause problems. The baby gets nicotine via breast milk and it can cause vomiting, excess
