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Should Mothers Smoke During Breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding and smoking do not mix and it is not only unhealthy, but dangerous. If the mother smokes more than 20 cigarettes a day, baby’s risk potential increases significantly. Obviously, the more mom smokes, the more baby is harmed. A mother who is a heavy smoker is taking the chance of not only reducing her milk supply, but creating problems for baby such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. When a breastfeeding mother smokes, her nicotine levels increase not only in her blood, but in her milk. If mom lights up just prior to breastfeeding, baby is in a high risk situation.

If a nursing mother is unable to quit smoking completely, at least wait ninety-five minutes after smoking to breastfeed. This is the length of time it takes for half of the nicotine to be eliminated from the mother’s body. Less milk production is not the only problem a smoking mother will face. Studies have linked smoking to inhibiting the “let down” reflex. Prolactin blood levels may also lower. It has also been a cause of early weaning.

Baby’s whose mother’s smoke are known to be fussier and possibly colicky when compared to babies whose mother’s are non-smokers. Even if a mother does not smoke, there is still a risk from second hand smoke. Keep the infant away from people who smoke cigarettes or cigars.

Babies that inhale smoke may contract a respiratory illness have delayed or stunted development and even become a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. Almost everyone is aware that smoking increases the risk of lung, mouth, lip and tongue cancer. Yet, these same people allow second hand smoke around them. Regardless of whether a mother chooses to breastfeed should quit smoking.

However, if quitting is out of the question for one reason or another she is still advised to breastfeed. The benefits of breastfeeding are greater than the consequences of smoking. Mom should continue to enjoy breastfeeding even if her nicotine habit is not completely kicked.

Paul Heitman is the owner of Childbirth-Pregnancy-Guide.com. CLICK HERE to get a Free Special Report and to find more up-to-date articles and resources about pregnancy and breastfeeding.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Heitman

Steps to Help Pregnant Woman Quit Smoking

Maybe the biggest factor a mom-to-be should take into consideration is the possibility that her child is at risk of acquiring diseases when exposed to the harmful substances contained in each puff of the cigarette.

It is not really new to anyone that smoking has its own grave dangers that could harm even the most unsuspecting victims and yes, that includes the unborn child in her womb. And the danger is not exclusive to the unborn children; it also affects the newborn babies.

But even with all our knowledge on the health risks of smoking and the ways by which it could be stopped, there is still a lot of trouble women face when wanting to quit.

Pregnant moms have more need of quitting the habit since unlike men and women who bear no one in their wombs; pregnant women would not only put their lives in the line but also make the young soul too vulnerable to all sorts of unimaginable consequences.

But quitting is never easy and with pregnant women who bear the stresses of childbearing, finds that smoking cessation extremely challenging in comparison to the experiences of other people. However, there are so much at risk when a mom-to-be never stops smoking and there great rewards when the habit is kicked off.

Here are but some of the risks of smoking during pregnancy that mothers should be pondering over:

When the smoke reaches the placenta, its content would contaminate this sac which could in turn deprive the baby of appropriate nutrients and oxygen. These are vital in the normal and healthy development of the baby within.

There are increased rates in abnormalities seen in babies whose mothers are smokers. There is marked increase in these rates as the degree of addiction increases in the smoker.

Low birth weight is likely to occur to babies of smoking mothers. Because of this, such babies are likely to become extremely ill, more prone to diseases and disorders, and are more prone to death during the first year.

A baby of a smoker mom would possibly die due to SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Now you know some of the threats to the health of the child, you now have more reasons to help a pregnant woman to quit the smoking habit. So that leads us to the first step into helping this mother and that is “encouragement”.

It must start with something that will motivate her to break off the habit easily and informing her of what could be the effects t the child would appeal to her emotions and her instincts a mother. A mother should protect her child and that is one thing you must impress on her. She must never cause harm against her own child, and that’s the second thing you should make her remember.

Smoking pregnant women are exceptional since most mothers, regardless if she wants it or not, have the common perception that she must do all possible things just to make her child healthier. But possibly, just possibly, pregnant women who smoke may not know so much about the risks against smoking. But informing a pregnant woman you know might open her into the realities that she is acting upon on her and on her child.

But this doesn’t step on the encouragement phase, you must be able to drive her into really quitting and staying quit even after she gave birth. Continuous support must be observed since this is one thing she would need once her prime reason for stopping has gone- that is bearing the child.

Some women cannot do it alone, especially when strong urges to relapse call on them. But you, as the guide, should never falter on your support. Give her substantial guidance which could help ensure that she and her child are kept from the hazardous effects of cigarette or tobacco smoking.

The next step into helping a pregnant woman quit smoking is to provide her with all the resources she might need or at least provide her with information on the resources. For example, help her find the physician or stop smoking program that would help a lot with her smoking cessation or accompany her in shops which sell effective stop smoking devices and products.

These three steps, if followed, would contribute a great deal when wanting to help a pregnant woman quit her smoking habit.

For more information on how to stop smoking please go to: http://www.stopsmokingforbetterhealth.com/steps-to-help-pregnant-woman-quit-smoking.html http://www.stopsmokingforbetterhealth.com http://www.drnathaliefiset.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.

Effects of Smoking in Pregnancy!

Approximately 30 per cent of women who smoke in Britain continue to smoke during pregnancy. Cigarettes affect the mothers’ circulation, which in turn will affect the baby. The baby in the womb is totally relying on mother to supply oxygen, nourish and filter out any dangerous chemicals.

• ” The placenta (afterbirth) is the lifeline between mother and baby. When a pregnant woman smokes, oxygen in her blood is replaced by carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas, which robs muscles, brain and body tissues of oxygen making the baby’s heart work harder. If the baby is deprived of oxygen it will suffer from its effects, which is known as hypoxia. The affect of hypoxia happens over a long period of time. The most immediate affect for the baby is his/her movements inside the womb slow down and heart rate speeds up as the baby tries to get more oxygen. There is a reduction in baby movements for up to thirty minutes after the mother has smoked a single cigarette.

• ” The placenta supplies the baby with nutrients; smoking increases the chance that the baby will be born smaller than expected. (Low Birth Weight Baby). Research suggests that some women see a low birth weight baby as an advantage, however there is so much evidence to the contrary. If the baby is smaller at birth it will continue to be smaller throughout its subsequent development. Low birth weight babies are more likely to need intensive care.

• ” The placenta acts as a barrier/filter for certain substances. Unfortunately it cannot keep all of them away and many get through. Nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other chemicals in tobacco smoke are passed on to the baby. There are 4000 chemical in cigarettes of which there are more than 30 known carcinogens. A German study showed traces of NNK, (nicotine-derived nitrosaminoketone) which is one of the strongest cancer causing agents found in tobacco products. It was detected in 22 of 31 newborns of mothers who smoked during pregnancy.

Effects of Nicotine

Nicotine travels through the bloodstream to the brain, and then is delivered to the rest of the body. 80 % of nicotine is broken down to cotinine by enzymes in the liver. A build up of cotinine can act on the womb causing it to contract, or go into labour. Many chemicals, including nicotine, can readily move from the mother’s bloodstream into the foetal blood supply. (This is why physicians are so cautious about what over-the-counter or prescription drugs women take in pregnancy.) If you smoke while pregnant, your child will be exposed to almost the same level of nicotine as you. That means that once he or she is born and is no longer getting nicotine intravenously, the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal will likely set in.

Clinical studies have reported that nicotine concentrations in the placenta, amniotic fluid and foetal serum were consistently higher than maternal serum values when measured at various stages throughout pregnancy

Nicotine alters a smoker’s blood pressure, heart rate, and even their metabolism. Nicotine moves right into the lining of small blood vessels causing them to narrow thus reducing the blood flow to the womb and subsequently to the baby. Nicotine can inhibit the production of prostacyclin, a potent vasodilator and inhibitor of platelet aggregation, in arteries. Studies have shown that nicotine increases uterine vascular resistance and reduces uterine blood flow, possibly by an action on catecholamine release. Smoking acutely and chronically reduces placental blood flow, presumably through an effect of nicotine.

There is, evidence that nicotine impairs foetal growth and can lead to an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and premature delivery. A likely cause of foetal growth retardation is induction of foetal ischaemia (reduced blood supply) and hypoxia (lack of oxygen) as a result of the effect of nicotine on the placental circulation.

Nicotine from cigarettes or replacement therapy has potential adverse effects on human health. Over 8 million women smoke in the UK. Research amongst female smokers shows that 74% would like to stop smoking but despite these attempts most women continue to be dependent on nicotine and experience difficulty in overcoming their addiction to the drug.

Pregnant women who smoke are often highly motivated to quit, especially during early pregnancy, but many continue to smoke. Smoking amongst expectant mothers in the UK is surprisingly high at 23% and only 3% of people stop smoking successfully when relying solely on willpower.

There are increased risks in pregnancy when the mother smokes. The risk of miscarriage is 27% higher in smokers. Perinatal mortality (defined as still-birth or death of an infant within the first week of life) is increased by about one-third in babies of smokers. The risk of a low birth weight baby (200gramas 7oz) is three times higher. Furthermore, the more cigarettes a woman smokes during pregnancy, the greater the probable reduction in birth weight.

Recent research suggests that cigarettes can reduce the flow of blood in the placenta, which limits the amount of nutrients that reach the foetus. There is a 35% increase in cot deaths associated with smoking in pregnancy. Maternal smoking is associated with a higher risk of children’ s cancers. Infants of parents who smoke are twice as likely to suffer from serious respiratory infection than the children of non-smokers. Smoking during pregnancy can also increase the risk of asthma in young children.

Maternal smoking in pregnancy has been associated with behaviour and attention deficit disorders. Mothers who smoked more than ½ a pack of cigarettes were significantly more likely to have an offspring with conduct disorder. Substance abuse is higher among children of mothers who smoked in pregnancy and also impaired child-rearing behaviour. Smoking in pregnancy may also have implications for the long-term physical growth and intellectual development of the child. It has been associated with a reduced height in children of smoking mothers as compared with non-smoking mothers, with lower attainments in reading and mathematics up to age 16 and even with the highest qualification achieved by the age of 23.

On average, smokers have more complications of pregnancy and labour, which can include bleeding during pregnancy, premature detachment of the placenta and premature rupture of the membranes. Some studies have also revealed a link between smoking and ectopic pregnancy and congenital defects in the offspring of smokers. Women are more likely to experience vomiting, urinary infections, thrush, to feel unwell and have more hospital admissions. There is also evidence that smoking interferes with women’s hormonal balance during pregnancy and that this may have long-term consequences on the reproductive organs of her children.

In December 1998, the UK government set a target to reduce the percentage of women who smoke during pregnancy from 23% to 15% by the year 2010; with a fall to 18% by the year 2005. This will mean approximately 55,000 fewer women in England who smoke during pregnancy. This target has not yet been achieved.

http://www.quitsmokinghowtoquit.com/Pregnancy.html

1 Tobacco Advisory Group, Royal College of Physicians Nicotine addiction in Britain [London: RCP; 2000]
2 Foster K, Lader D, Cheesbrough S. Infant Feeding 1995: Office for National Statistics [London: The Stationery Office; 1997]
3 Luck W, Nau H, Hansen R. Steldinger R. Extent of nicotine and cotinine transfer to the human foetus, placenta and amniotic fluid of smoking mothers. Dev Pharmacol Ther [1985; 8: 384-95]
4 Ahlsten G, Ewald U, Tuvemo T. Prostacyclin-like activity in umbilical arteries is dose-dependently reduced by maternal smoking and related to nicotine levels. Biol Neonate [1990; 58:271-8]
5 Resnick R, Brink GW, Wilkes M. Catecholamine-mediated reduction in uterine flow after nicotine infusion in the pregnant ewe. J Clin Invest [1979; 63: 1133-6]
6 Bridgewood A et al. Living in Britain: Results from 1998 General Household Survey from the Office for National Statistics, Social Survey Division [London: The Stationary Office, 2000]
7 Smoking Kills (A Government White Paper on Tobacco) [1998]
8 Parrot, S Godfrey G, Raw M et al. A Guidance for Commissioners on the Cost Effectiveness of Smoking Cessation Interventions [Thorax 1998; 53 (Suppl. 5, part 2): SI-S38)]
9 Royal College of Physicians Smoking and the Young [London, 1992]
10 Werler MM, Pober BR, Holmes LB Smoking and pregnancy [Teratology 1985; 32: 473-81]
11 Larsen, L.G. et al. Stereologic examination of placentas from mothers who smoke during pregnancy. Am J Obstet & Gynecol. 2002; 186: 531-537
12 Anderson HR, Cook DG. Passive smoking and sudden infant death syndrome: review of the epidemiological evidence [Thorax 1997; 52: 1003-9]
13 Lindsey Jarvis, Office for National Statistics. Smoking among secondary school children in 1996: England [London: The Stationery Office, 1997]
14 Hecht SS, Carmella SG, Chen ML, Salzberger U, Tollner U, Lackmann GM. Metabolites of the tobacco-specific lung carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (nnk) in the urine of newborn infants. Abstract Papers Am Chem. Soc 1998
15 Gilliland, F.D. et al. Effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy and environmental tobacco smoke on asthma and wheezing in children [Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001; 163(2): 429-436]
16 Landgren et al. (1998)
7 Wakschlag et al. (1997)
18 Fergusson et al. (1998)
19 Naeye RL, Tafari, N. Risk factors in pregnancy and diseases of the newborn [Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins; 1983]
20 Fogelman, K.R. and Manor, O. British Medical Journal 1988 [297: 1233-1236]
21 Poswillo, D and Alberman, E. Effects of smoking on the foetus, neonate, and child [OUP 1992]
22 Haddow, J.E. et al. Teratology [1993; 47: 225-228]
23 Golding, J. HEA Smoking and pregnancy conference [1994]

Maria Leahy Medical Director, NicoBloc SRN, R.M, Dip Man MA Marketing, ISO Auditor/ Assessor, Cert Health & Safety, CPC Maria Leahy is a fully trained midwife nurse. She was also a supervisor of midwives in the South East Thames Region until 1996. She is currently employed as Assistant Programmme Director of the MHB GP Training Scheme (Eire). Experienced in the field of smoking cessation at all levels and represented the MHB on the National Board of STAG (Smoking Target Action Group) until December 2001. Educated to a Masters Degree in Marketing, and has lectured for the past 4 years (part-time) on the BA in Health Care Management in the Athlone College of Technology (Eire). Maria has also been appointed by the Irish College of General Practitioners as an assessor of GP training practice nationally. She was instrumental in attaining the first and only ISO accredited GP training scheme in Ireland to date. Since Jan 2002 she has been the Medical Director for Rosen Holdings where she has facilitated the setting up of a trial using NicoBloc with pregnant smokers. http://www.arkomax.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Leahy

Quit Smoking Before Becoming Pregnant

In the United States more than 20 percent of women smoke and many of these women smoke while they are pregnant. Smoking can harm a woman’s health and smoking during pregnancy can lead to pregnancy complications and serious health problems in newborns. The more a pregnant woman smokes, the greater the risk to her baby. However, if a woman stops smoking by the end of her first trimester of pregnancy, she is no more likely to have a low birth weight baby than a woman who never smoked. Even stopping during the third trimester can still improve the baby’s growth.

The problems with smoking during pregnancy include:

• Risks to the baby

o Low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams) carries a range of grave health risks for children. Babies who were undernourished in the womb face a greatly increased risk of dying during their early months and years. Those who survive have impaired immune function and increased risk of disease; they are likely to remain undernourished, with reduced muscle strength, throughout their lives, and suffer a higher incidence of diabetes and heart disease in later life. Children born underweight also tend to have a lower IQ and cognitive disabilities, affecting their performance in school and their job opportunities as adults.

o Premature birth – less than 37 weeks of gestation.

o Miscarriage and stillbirths

o Learning and behaviour problems – associated with premature birth and low birth weight. o Increased incidence of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)

o May undergo withdrawal-like symptoms. The babies appear to be more jittery and difficult to soothe than babies of non-smokers

o Suffer from more lower-respiratory illnesses (such as bronchitis and pneumonia) and ear infections than other babies.

o Some kinds of birth defects, particularly cleft lip and cleft palate (abnormalities of the mouth that need to be corrected by surgery).

• Pregnancy complications

o Placental problems – including placenta previa (low-lying placenta that covers part or all of the opening of the uterus) and placental abruption (in which the placenta peels away, partially or almost completely, from the uterine wall before delivery). Both can result in heavy bleeding during delivery that can endanger mother and baby.

o Premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) (when the sac inside the uterus that holds the baby breaks before labor begins). When this occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy it often results in the birth of a premature baby.

Smoking also affects the reproduction before a woman becomes pregnant. Smoker can have more trouble conceiving than non-smokers with fertility being 30% lower. However, fertility returns to normal after a woman stops smoking.

Men also have fertility problems associated with smoking. They have:

• reduced ejaculation volume,

• a reduced sperm count,

• the sperm motility is impaired,

• increased sperm shape abnormalities and

• the sperm are less able to penetrate the ovum.

The sperm related problems can take three months to correct. It is suggested therefore that males quit smoking at least three months before trying to conceive.

The good news is that the problems in pregnancy can be overcome by quitting smoking. This is best undertaken before the pregnancy – but stopping at any stage during the pregnancy will have a benefit for the mother and baby. If you are pregnant or are wanting to become pregnant then now is the time to stop. Join the quit smoking program at Growerz.com and get the assistance and support you need to successfully quit – for the sake of a healthy baby.

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Smoking Cessation during Pregnancy. ACOG Educational Bulletin, number 260, September 2000.

Law, K.L., et al. Smoking During Pregnancy and Newborn Neurobehavior. Pediatrics, volume 111, number 6, June 2003, pages 1318-1323.

Martin, J.A., et al. Births: Final Data for 2002. National Vital Statistics Reports, volume 52, number 10, December 17, 2003.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General—2004. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health, Atlanta Georgia, May 2004.

Wang, X., et al. Maternal Cigarette Smoking, Metabolic Gene Polymorphism, and Infant Birth Weight. Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 287, number 2, January 9, 2002, pages 195-202.

Dr Jenny Tylee is an experienced health professional who is passionate about health and wellbeing. She believes that health is not just absence of disease and seeks to actively promote vitality and wellness through empowering others. She encourages smokers to quit and believes that the Growerz program will enable people to give up smoking for good. She also owns Health Product Site and Safe Colon Cleansing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Jenny_Tylee

Smoking During Pregnancy

Even though the overall percentage of smokers is declining, the slowest rate of decline is among women of childbearing age. Fourteen million women in the ages of 18 to 44 smoke. This is very dangerous for babies and must be stopped!

If you smoke during pregnancy it is very likely that your child will be extremely hyperactive and have ADHD. Cigarette smoke contains many poisonous substances, but studies have shown that this hyperactivity is caused by carbon monoxide building up in the baby’s blood stream. This reduces the oxygen that reaches the baby and causes many problems in development.

Studies have also shown that children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are much slower in reading abilities, math abilities, speech and language abilities, intelligence levels and are not as physically developed as normal children. These children scored much lower on tests than other kids.

When mothers smoke during pregnancy, their children will probably have difficulty listening and following directions. This makes it very hard to do well in school. The more you smoke during pregnancy, the harder it is for children to pay attention.

Another dangerous aspect of prenatal smoking is that the nicotine in cigarettes damages brain cells. The thickness of the cerebral cortex is significantly reduced, the cerebral cortex neurons are smaller and the brain itself weighs less in infants whose mothers smoked. The connections between brain cells are also decreased, which makes it much more difficult for the brain to relay information to other parts of the body.

When children are exposed to prenatal smoke, they will often develop many behavioral problems as they grow older. Some of these problems include anxiety, disobedience, conduct disorders and conflict with others.

Not only will your child have problems later in life if the mother smokes, but there is also a higher risk of pregnancy complications. Women who smoke during pregnancy are much more likely to have a premature birth, low birth weight babies and stillbirths. There is also a higher rate of infant mortality. After the baby is born, the baby is at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, respiratory infections and poor lung development.

Medical costs for births are much higher for smokers because the births are a lot more complicated. In 1987, the birth costs of non smokers was $6,544 and the birth costs of smokers was $10,894. This is almost twice as much for smokers!

Many women are now realizing how dangerous it is to smoke while pregnant. In 1987, nineteen percent of women smoked during their pregnancies and in 1995 only fourteen percent of women smoked during their pregnancies. This is a decrease of five percent. This number still needs to go down more though.

As you can see, smoking while pregnant has many bad side affects for your baby, such as pregnancy complications, asthma, hyperactivity, lower IQ, attention deficits, learning disabilities and many other problems. If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you should not smoke at all. As soon as you quit smoking, you will be improving the health of your baby.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Pregnancy Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Smoking While Pregnant : Tips & Help From People Who Care . . .

quitsmokingwhilepregnant.wordpress.com was created to help women who are currently dealing with the struggles of smoking while pregnant.