Tobacco and Pregnancy

Women who smoke or are around smokers while pregnant expose their unborn child to significantly increased health risks. It is estimated that between 20 percent and 30 percent of low birth weight babies are born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy. Nearly 14 percent of premature deliveries and 10 percent of infant deaths are also attributed to smoking mothers. Additionally, apparently healthy, full-term babies of smokers have been found to be born with narrowed airways and reduced lung function. (Reference: American Lung Association - Smoking 101 Fact Sheet, 2007).

The following links include information about smoking during pregnancy:

• American Lung Association - Smoking and Pregnancy
• Centers for Disease Control - Smoking During Pregnancy
• National Institute on Drug Abuse - Research Report Series - Tobacco Addiction
• National Institutes of Health - MedlinePlus: Pregnancy and Substance Abuse