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Smoking While Pregnant

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Submitted By alxplunk
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ENG 1010
13 March 2014
Smoking While Pregnant

There are many health problems that are caused by smoking cigarettes. Many women feel that it only affects them, but if they are pregnant or plan to become pregnant it can cause many health problems for the unborn child. If you are planning on getting pregnant or just found out you are pregnant you need to quit smoking immediately. Smoking causes many problems for you, your unborn child, and there are many ways to quit. When you smoke, you are at risk for many health problems. It harms nearly every organ in your body causing your health to deteriorate over time. It increases your risk of a heart disease and stroke by two to four times (Pg. 1 cdc.gov). Smoking makes it harder for women to get pregnant and harms the sperm in men, increasing the risk of birth defects. Your blood pressure raises due to the narrowing in your vessels, which can cause blockages, clots, and reduce blood flow to your legs and skin.
Smoking can contribute to many complications during pregnancy for you and your baby. The baby is at increased risk of low birth weight, premature birth, miscarriage, or stillbirth. It lowers the available oxygen and raises heart rate to you and the fetus. Also, they can have lung problems and have birth defects, such as Orofacial clefts (cleft lip), after they are born. It can even contribute to sudden infant death syndrome, commonly known as SIDS.
Now that you are aware of what smoking can do to you and your baby, you can start your path to quitting. In this day and time there are many ways to quit. Here are some of those ways: hide your lighters and ashtrays, declare your home a smoke free place, do not let others smoke around you, and avoid places that allow smoking. If you cannot quit on your own, contact your doctor. You can even join a support group to help you in achieving your goal of quitting.
Many people that smoke but do not or choose not to know the harmful effects it has on them or their unborn child. With all the education women get about smoking while pregnant, I feel that it should be child abuse. You cannot cut back on smoking while you are pregnant you need to quit. According to webmd.com, there is no “safe” level of smoking while pregnant.

Works Cited http://www.webmd.com/baby/smoking-during-pregnancy http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/

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