Why Is Smoking and Drinking Prohibited During Pregnancy?

When a woman gets pregnant she needs to start thinking about the well-being of her unborn child. And if you are someone who is habitual of drinking and smoking it is best to call these habits quits at least for 9 months. Otherwise, your child’s mental and physical health will be greatly impacted.

Visit a Gynecologist in Lahore and ask them about how smoking and drinking can impact your baby. Or go through this article to understand what makes smoking and drinking a bad choice during pregnancy.

Drinking During Pregnancy

If you are pregnant or even planning to conceive, avoiding alcohol completely is the best choice. Alcohol lowers your chances of conceiving and once conceived, it can harm your unborn child. Drinking can lead to miscarriage, low birth weight of the baby, and premature birth.

What Happens When You Drink During Pregnancy?

When you consume alcohol during pregnancy, it directly passes on to your unborn child within two hours. And as a result, your unborn child’s blood-alcohol level becomes almost equal to yours. Unlike you, the fetus cannot process alcohol easily so it stays in your unborn baby’s system for a long period of time affecting their birth. Moreover, it can also cause some birth defects and lead to the development of a serious condition called “Foetal Alcohol Syndrome”.

What Kind of Birth Defects and Complications Occur in Children of Drinking Mothers?

Alcohol can negatively impact your unborn child’s brain, spinal cord, heart, and kidney. In addition to that, it can interfere with the development of a baby’s teeth and other body parts like arms and legs. Some common birth defects caused by drinking are:

• Small head circumference
• Abnormalities in facial features
• Poor growth
• Learning or behavioural issues
• Eyesight and hearing issues
• Heart, kidney, or bone issues
• Below average height
• Eating and sleeping issues
• Emotional and mental health issues

Smoking During Pregnancy

Just like drinking alcohol, smoking is also extremely dangerous during pregnancy. Cigarettes contain chemicals like nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, which can put both your and your baby’s health at risk. Mothers who smoke are twice as likely to face issues like premature birth and stillbirth than non-smokers.

What Happens When You Smoke During Pregnancy?

Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can affect the oxygen supply to your unborn baby. Both active and passive smoking increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Also, it may cause a decrease in foetal movements and cause developmental delays.

Other than that, smoking during pregnancy puts your child at risk of obesity, ADHD, and asthma. Moreover, they are also more likely to visit a hospital after getting affected with pneumonia and bronchitis than other children.

What Kind of Birth Defects and Complications Occur in Children of Smoking Mothers?

Smoking during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight and  which can result in serious complications like cerebral palsy, vision ailments, and learning issues. Some other complications that may ovcur due to smoking are:

• Ectopic pregnancy
• Placenta previa
• Placental abruption
• Premature birth
• Foetal death
• Development delays
• Mental issues and disability
• Hearing impairments
• Congenital heart disease
• Issues with the structure of the heart
• Weak lungs

Bottom Line:

A woman can still have a healthy baby even after drinking and smoking during pregnancy. However, the chances of drinking and smoking impacting your unborn child negatively are higher. It can cause several serious issues which are preventable by stopping alcohol consumption and smoking.

Even after reading about all the complications that can occur due to smoking and drinking, you are having a hard time staying away from alcohol and cigarettes visit the Best Gynecologist in Karachi. They will definitely help you find a way to stay away from alcohol and cigarettes.