Smoking during pregnancy
Smoking during pregnancy is risky to the unborn fetus as it exposes them to multiple toxic chemicals.
It can lead to
Sudden death
Premature abortion
Premature birth
Underweight babies
Nicotine withdrawal in the baby
Treatment
Quitting smoking is ideal.
However if cravings are too much , use of nicotine gum/ lozenges/ inhaler is preferred as they have shorter effects compared to the patch, which exposes the baby to longer periods of nicotine .
Smoking while breast feeding
Smoking while breast feeding reduces the amount of breast milk produced and changes the taste of breast milk .
Exposure to nicotine on clothes , furniture and the environment can lead to sudden infant death, diarrhea , colic in the baby .
Medication and other forms of nicotine replacement can be used to manage cravings during breastfeeding.
