How does smoking affect an unborn baby?
Cigarette smoke reaches the fetus through the placenta, the tissue that connects the mother and fetus. Among other important functions, the placenta provides nutrients to the fetus. When nicotine and carbon monoxide (toxins in cigarette smoke and second-hand smoke) enter the body, they reach the placenta and deprive it of oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the baby is also deprived. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, a stillborn baby, a premature baby, or a baby with birth defects. Smoking damages the fetal lungs, which develop early and are exposed longer than other organs to tobacco toxins. It also harms the fetal brain by interfering with the placental exchange of oxygen. Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to give birth to a low birth weight baby. This is a concern because smaller babies are more likely to be ill, to need special care, and to stay longer in hospital. They are also more likely to die at birth or within the first year. A pregnant woman w
