Parent Smoking During Pregnancy Raises Kids’ Heart Risks

An entire pregnancy is a time where a lot of care is required for and by the expecting mother. Almost any of the natural circumstances and environment we are subject to will play a role in how fit and healthy the child is at birth and after. A number of common birth defects are the result of careless behavior during a pregnancy. Smoking is one of the worst addictions to suffer from not only because of the heath risk they pose to the individual that has them, but also the health risk they pose to people in close proximity. Moreover, the fact that it is one of the hardest habits to break does not help at all. Many individuals have repeatedly tried, and almost as equally frequently failed, to kick the addiction of a daily dosage of nicotine. However, when pregnant, it is essential that you avoid smoking, however hard it may be, for the health of your unborn baby. This is essential because of the facts in babies which are exposed to smoke while still in the womb, the placenta is deprived of required oxygen and nutrients. The placenta will then spread further into the uterus in search of sources of oxygen and nutrients, increasing the risk of conditions like placental abruption and placenta previa. As a result of oxygen deprivation, the baby is likely to be born with a low birth weight and suffer from other conditions including poor lung functionality.

When looking closely at the linked between smoking during pregnancy and the increased risk of the baby suffering from heart failure when born, studies have shown that, if both parents smoke during the pregnancy, the child has a very significant risk of thickened artery walls by the time he or she is 30 years old. The more the mother smokes, the thicker the artery walls seem to be and these children also happen to have developed fatty streaks in the arteries. These fatty streaks happen to be precursors to more severe arterial narrowing that leads to heart attacks and anginas. Some of the other conditions that a child is more prone to if his or her mother smoked during the pregnancy include food allergies, cancer, asthma, attention disorders and a short stature.

The hardest factors when it comes to suddenly kicking the habit because you are pregnant are the withdrawal symptoms you are going to experience. Lightheadedness, fatigue and very intense cravings for a cigarette are commonplace, but must be ignored for the benefit of both you and your child.