Smoking: its effect on Infertility and Pregnancy

Smoking is traced as one of the culprits of infertility in women. It has been touted to cause irregular menstruation and early menopause in women at their reproductive stages. Women smokers can pass on to their unborn child the plethora of hazardous chemicals in the smoke through the placenta. Babies born from women smokers have lower birth weights and there is also the increase in the probability of having spontaneous abortion , stillbirths, and premature labor.

Fetal development especially its nervous system is greatly affected by the decrease in oxygen and the increase in carbon dioxide which will enter the placenta. Some will be born with birth deformities and or idiosyncrasies. This will lead to more children being abandoned by their mothers. If the babies can escape being deformed or abnormal, they can be prone to the development of respiratory tract infections which can eventually lead to bronchitis and asthma. Smoking moms have a bigger possibility of giving birth to babies who are twice as prone to having asthma.

Breastfeeding mothers can pass on nicotine to their babies through the breast milk.