Pregnant Smoke

Pregnant Smoke

Reviewed by Traci C. Johnson, MD on November 10, 2020
If your health isn't enough to make you quit smoking , then the health of your baby should be. Smoking during pregnancy affects you and your baby's health before, during, and after your baby is born. The nicotine (the addictive substance in cigarettes), carbon monoxide, and numerous other poisons you inhale from a cigarette are carried through your bloodstream and go directly to your baby. Smoking while pregnant will:
The more cigarettes you smoke per day, the greater your baby's chances of developing these and other health problems. There is no "safe" level of smoking while pregnant .
Secondhand smoke (also called passive smoke or environmental tobacco smoke) is the combination of smoke from a burning cigarette and smoke exhaled by a smoker.
The smoke that burns off the end of a cigarette or cigar actually contains more harmful substances (tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine, and others) than the smoke inhaled by the smoker. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke.
If you are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke while pregnant, you will have an increased chance of having a stillbirth, a low-birth-weight baby, a baby with birth defects, and other complications of pregnancy.
Babies and children exposed to secondhand smoke may also develop asthma , allergies , and more frequent lung and ear infections .
Smoke travels through vents and under doors. Even very brief exposure can make breathing problems worse for babies. Here are some things you can do to reduce your baby’s exposure while you’re pregnant and after your baby is born:
There are many smoking cessation programs available to help you quit smoking. Ask your health care provider for more information about these programs.
Here are some tips that may help you kick the habit:
Nicotine gum and patches release nicotine into the bloodstream of the smoker who is trying to quit. Although these products can reduce withdrawal symptoms and decrease cravings in smokers who are trying to quit, the safety of these products hasn't been adequately evaluated in pregnant women.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that nicotine gum and patches be considered in pregnant women only after other nondrug treatments, like counseling, have failed and if the increased likelihood of quitting smoking, with its potential benefits, outweighs the unknown risk of nicotine replacement and potential smoking.
The benefits of not smoking start within days of quitting. After you quit, you and your baby's heartbeat will return to normal, and your baby will be less likely to develop breathing problems .
You may have symptoms of withdrawal because your body is used to nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes. You may crave cigarettes, be irritable, feel very hungry , cough often, get headaches, or have difficulty concentrating. The withdrawal symptoms are only temporary. They are strongest when you first quit but will go away within 10-14 days. When withdrawal symptoms occur, stay in control. Think about your reasons for quitting. Remind yourself that these are signs that your body is healing and getting used to being without cigarettes. Remember that withdrawal symptoms are easier to treat than the major diseases that smoking can cause.
Even after the withdrawal is over, expect periodic urges to smoke. However, these cravings are generally short-lived and will go away whether you smoke or not. Don't smoke!
If you relapse and smoke again do not lose hope. Of the people who quit, 75% relapse. Most smokers quit three times before they are successful. If you relapse, don't give up! Plan ahead and think about what you will do next time you get the urge to smoke.
Mayo Clinic: "Smoking and Pregnancy: Understand the Risks."
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: "Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs, and Pregnancy."
March of Dimes: “Smoking during pregnancy,” “Placental abruption,” “Placenta previa,” “Low-Birth Weight,” “Access to health coverage.”
CDC: "Tobacco Use and Pregnancy," “Birth Defects, Facts about Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate.”
Health Resources and Services Administration: “Very Low Birth Weight.”
Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford: “Very Low Birthweight.”
Office on Women’s Health: "Smoking;” “Preconception Health," "Smoking and How to Quit: Secondhand Smoke."
National Cancer Institute, Smokefree.gov: “Health Consequences of Smoking,” “Myths about Smoking and Pregnancy,” “Pregnancy.”
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, BeTobaccoFree.gov: "Tobacco Use Before, During, and After Pregnancy."
WinnipegHealthRegion.ca: “When smoke gets in your eyes ... and throat ... and lungs: Protect your health, avoid second hand smoke.”
© 2005 - 2022 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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How Can Smoking Harm You and Your Baby?

Your baby may be born too small, even after a full-term pregnancy. Smoking slows your baby’s growth before birth.
Your baby may be born too early (premature birth). Premature babies often have health problems. 5
Smoking can damage your baby’s developing lungs and brain. The damage can last through childhood and into the teen years. 4
Smoking doubles your risk of abnormal bleeding during pregnancy and delivery. This can put both you and your baby in danger. 5
Smoking raises your baby’s risk for birth defects, including cleft lip, cleft palate, or both. A cleft is an opening in your baby’s lip or in the roof of her mouth (palate). He or she can have trouble eating properly and is likely to need surgery. 1 , 4
Babies of moms who smoke during pregnancy—and babies exposed to cigarette smoke after birth—have a higher risk for SIDS. 1

How Can a Premature Birth Harm Your Baby?
How Can Quitting Help You and Your Baby?
Support for Quitting During Pregnancy

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco Use and Pregnancy [last updated 2017 Sep 29; accessed 2018 Mar 22].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnant? Don’t Smoke! [last updated 2017 Nov 13; accessed 2018 Mar 22].
National Cancer Institute. 4 Reasons Why Quitting Matters When You’re Pregnant [accessed 2018 Mar 22].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Let’s Make the Next Generation Tobacco-Free: Your Guide to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health. [PDF – 795KB] Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2018 Mar 22].
National Cancer Institute. Smoking, Labor, & Delivery: It’s Complicated [accessed 2018 Mar 22].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preterm Birth [last updated 2017 Nov 27; accessed 2018 Mar 22].
Been JV, Lugtenberg MJ, Smets E, van Schayck CP, Kramer BW, Mommers M, Sheikh A. Preterm Birth and Childhood Wheezing Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLOS Medicine 2014 Jan 28. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001596 [accessed 2018 Mar 22].
Harju M, Keski-Nisula L, Georgiadis L, Räisänen S, Gissler M, Heinonen S. The Burden of Childhood Asthma and Late Preterm and Early Term Births. The Journal of Pediatrics 2014;164(2):295–9 [accessed 2018 Mar 22].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010 [accessed 2018 Mar 22].
National Cancer Institute. Smoking & Your Baby [last updated 2019 Jan 28; accessed 2019 Jan 25].

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Most people know that smoking causes cancer and other major health problems. And smoking while you’re pregnant can cause serious problems, too. Your baby could be born too early, have a birth defect, or die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Even being around cigarette smoke can cause health problems for you and your baby. 1
It’s best to quit smoking before you get pregnant. But if you’re already pregnant, quitting can still help protect you and your baby from health problems. It’s never too late to quit smoking. 2
If you smoked and had a healthy pregnancy in the past, there’s no guarantee that your next pregnancy will be healthy. When you smoke during pregnancy, you put your health and your baby’s health at risk. 3
Smoking can cause fertility problems for you or your partner. Women who smoke have more trouble getting pregnant than women who don’t smoke. In men, smoking can damage sperm and contribute to impotence (erectile dysfunction, or ED). Both problems can make it harder for a man to father a baby when he and his partner are ready. 3 , 4
If you smoke during pregnancy, you are more likely to give birth too early . A baby born 3 weeks or more before your due date is premature. 5 Babies born too early miss important growth that happens in the womb during the final weeks and months of pregnancy. 6
The earlier a baby is born, the greater the chances for serious health problems or death. Premature babies can have: 6 , 7 , 8
Premature babies may need to stay at the hospital for days, weeks, or even months. 5
Amanda B. smoked while she was pregnant. Her baby was born 2 months early and was kept in an incubator.
“I’ll never forget her tiny, little cry. It wasn’t like the cries you hear; you know—a loud, screaming, typical baby cry. It was just this soft, little cry.”
The best time to quit smoking is before you get pregnant, but quitting at any time during pregnancy can help your baby get a better start on life. Talk to your doctor about the best ways to quit while you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
Most pregnant women who smoke want to quit, but quitting isn’t always easy during pregnancy. What’s more, if you’re pregnant and still smoking, you may feel ashamed and alone.
The right kind of support can help a pregnant woman get through the unique challenges of quitting during this phase of life. Special guidance is available for you and the people around you. These resources include:
Quitting smoking to protect the health of you and your baby is one of the most important things you can do. If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, talk to your doctor or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to get started.
Amanda B. smoked while she was pregnant. Her baby was born 2 months early and was kept in an incubator.
“I’ll never forget her tiny, little cry. It wasn’t like the cries you hear; you know—a loud, screaming, typical baby cry. It was just this soft, little cry.”
Staying smokefree is important. Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mix of more than 7,000 chemicals. 9 When your child is not exposed to smoke, you can expect him or her to have: 10
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All women are advised to quit smoking when they become pregnant ; however, research has shown simply quitting is not enough to eliminate the risks associated with exposure to cigarettes. Many women are exposed to second-hand smoke from friends and family members or the residue cigarettes leave behind. Second-hand smoking during pregnancy can have detrimental effects on the health of you and your baby.
Second-hand smoke is characterized as the product released into the environment whenever someone who is smoking exhales. It can also come from the end of tobacco-containing smoking products. There are approximately 4,000 chemicals present in second-hand smoke , many of which have been determined to be related to cancer. If you are exposed to second-hand smoke during pregnancy, both you and your baby are put at risk.
Some of the health conditions associated with being exposed to second-hand smoke are a miscarriage, low birth weight, early birth, learning or behavioral deficiencies in your child, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is a disorder where an infant dies unexpectedly while they are sleeping. This condition is somewhat of a mystery as autopsies and medical examinations do not pinpoint a cause of death, and infants seem healthy before they die.
In order to reduce the risks associated with cigarettes and cigars, it is best to avoid smoke and smoking entirely.
Pregnant women can be exposed to this type of smoke without even realizing it. Third-hand smoke is the residue left behind by cigarettes on furniture, in rugs, in paint, etc. Third-hand smoke can stick around for months or years. If a place smells like smoke, even if no one is currently smoking, it is a safe bet there is tobacco residue there.
Toxins can enter your bloodstream when you either touch something containing the residue or breathe in some of the residues. When the toxins make their way into your blood, they are then shared with your baby. One study performed at the Los Angeles Research Institute determined that third-hand smoke residue has a detrimental effect on prenatal lung development. This can cause respiratory problems later in life.
If you and your partner are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or have recently had a child, it is best to minimize the amount of third-hand smoke in your home. You should stop smoking entirely if you are trying to conceive.
Make sure your partner smokes outdoors and does not enter the house wearing the outer clothing they have smoked in. For example, encourage your partner to wear a coat or sweatshirt when smoking and remove it before coming indoors. In addition, after being exposed to cigarettes, it is important you and your partner washes your hands before touching your baby.
It is important your baby has limited exposure to second-hand smoke even once he/she is born. Babies in contact with second-hand smoke are more likely to develop SIDS. In addition, children exposed to second-hand smoke experience negative effects on their immune system.
They are more likely to have ear infections, colds, respiratory ailments, and teeth problems. Third-hand smoke is likely to be as harmful as second-hand smoke to your infant, so it is important to keep your child away from areas that contain third-hand smoke residue.
Compiled using information from the following sources:
1. The Dangers of Secondhand Smoke.
2. Peterson, Tara & Mittal, Manoj K. (2011). Apparently Life-Threatening Event and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Florin, Todd A. & Ludwig, Stephen (Eds.), Aronson, Paul L. & Werner, Heidi C. (Assoc. Eds.), Netter’s Pediatrics (69). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders.
3. Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed). (2011, April 19). ‘Thirdhand smoke’ poses danger to unborn babies’ lungs, study finds. ScienceDaily.
4. Mitchell, Teresa J. (2011, Nov. 1). Third-Hand Smoke Affects Your Baby.
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