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Monday, June 20, 2011

Risks Caused to Infants by Smoking During Pregnancy

Smoking during pregnancy can cause many developmental problems in the infants and there may be chances of death. Here under are some of the problems that may occur in the infants when a women smokes during pregnancy:

Early Delivery:
Smoking during pregnancy can increase the chances of early delivery and it can also lead to lower birth weights, stillbirths and numerous newborn medical problems in the infants, like abnormal functioning of the brain due to premature birth. Smoking can increase the risk of learning disabilities in children.

Low Birth Weight:
Smoking by a pregnant women causes reduced oxygen supply to the fetus and this can lead to stunted growth and development in the infants. Babies born with lower birth weights are at a higher risk of learning disabilities and health problems in the later stages of their life.

Stillbirth:
According to the statistics of American Pregnancy Association, stillbirth occurs in one of every 200 births. Women who does smoking during the pregnancy are more than 40 percent more likely to experience a stillbirth than the normal pregnant women.

Other Effects:
There is an increased risk of babies getting Sudden Infant Death Syndrome after the birth, if the mother of these babies smokes during pregnancy. Smoking by the pregnant women may effect the development of her child in terms of height and weight during the later stages in the child's life.

The above are the serious risks, which a child may suffer, if the mother smokes during pregnancy.

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