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Tobacco Use and Reproductive Outcomes Fact Sheet
- Women smokers, like men smokers, are at increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease,
and pulmonary disease, but women smokers also experience unique risks related to menstrual and reproductive function.
- Women who smoke have increased risk conception delay and for primary and secondary infertility.
- Women who smoke may have a modest increase in risks for ectopic pregnancy and spontaneous abortion.
- Smoking during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for premature rupture of membranes,
abruptio placentae (placenta separation from the uterus), and placenta previal (abnormal location of the placenta, which
can cause massive hemorrhaging during delivery; smoking is also associated with a modest increase in risk for preterm delivery.
- Infants born to women who smoke during pregnancy have a lower average birth weight
and are more likely to be small for gestational age than infants born to women who do not smoke. Low birth weight is
associated with increased risk for neonatal, perinatal, and infant morbidity and mortality. The longer the mother smokes
during pregnancy, the greater the effect on the infants birth weight.
- The risk for perinatal mortality, both stillbirths and neonatal deaths, and the risk for
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are higher for the offspring of women who smoke during pregnancy.
- Women who smoke are less likely to breast-feed their infants than are women who do not.
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- Infants born to women who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during pregnancy may
have a small decrement in birth weight and a slightly increased risk for intrauterine growth retardation than infants
born to women who are not exposed to ETS.
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- Despite increased knowledge of the adverse health effects of smoking during pregnancy, estimates
of women smoking during pregnancy range from 12% (based on birth certificate data) up to 22% (based on survey data). However,
smoking during pregnancy appears to have decreased from 1989 through 1998.
- Eliminating
maternal
smoking
may
lead
to
a
10%
reduction
in
all
infant
deaths
and
a
12%
reduction
in
deaths
from
perinatal
conditions.
- Women
who
quit
smoking
before
or
during
pregnancy
reduce
the
risk
for
adverse
reproductive
outcomes,
including
difficulties
in
becoming
pregnant,
infertility,
premature
rupture
of
membranes,
preterm
delivery,
and
low
birth
weight.
- Most
relevant
studies
suggest
that
infants
of
women
who
stop
smoking
by
the
first
trimester
have
weight
and
body
measurements
comparable
with
those
of
nonsmokers
infants.
Studies
also
suggest
that
smoking
in
the
third
trimester
is
particularly
detrimental.
- Women
are
more
likely
to
stop
smoking
during
pregnancy,
both
spontaneously
and
with
assistance,
than
at
other
times
in
their
lives.
Using
pregnancy-specific
programs
can
increase
smoking
cessation
rates,
which
benefits
infant
health
and
is
cost
effective.
However,
only
one-third
of
women
who
stop
smoking
during
pregnancy
are
still
abstinent
1
year
after
the
delivery.
- Programs
that
encourage
women
to
stop
smoking
before,
during,
and
after
pregnancy
and
not
to
take
up
smoking
ever
again
deserve
high
priority
for
two
reasons:
during
pregnancy
women
are
highly
motivated
to
stop
smoking,
and
they
still
have
many
remaining
years
of
potential
life.
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SGR
2001 Report
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