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Smoking, Pregnancy, and Babies						Español (Spanish)							Print
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										Outlook for Mother and BabyMost 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.3How Does Smoking Affect Fertility?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, 4Top of PageHow 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.1Top of PageHow Can a Premature Birth Harm Your Baby?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
Low birth weight
Feeding difficulties
Breathing problems right away
Breathing problems that last into childhood
Cerebral palsy (brain damage that causes trouble with movement and muscle tone)
Developmental delays (when a baby or child is behind in language, thinking, or movement skills)
Problems with hearing or eyesightPremature babies may need to stay at the hospital for days, weeks, or even months.5Top of PageOn This Page
			Outlook for Mother and BabyHow Does Smoking Affect Fertility?How Can Smoking Harm You and Your Baby?How Can a Premature Birth Harm Your Baby?How Can Quitting Help You and Your Baby?Support for Quitting During PregnancyStay Smokefree for a Healthy ChildReferences
		
Free Quitting ResourcesTelephone
1-800-QUIT-NOW
1-855-DÉJELO-YA (Español)
1-800-838-8917 (中文)
1-800-556-5564 (한국어)
1-800-778-8440 (Tiếng Việt)Smartphone Apps/Text
Text QUITNOW to 333888—Message and data rates may apply
quitSTART appexternal iconWeb
Quit Smoking (En Español)
Smokefree.govexternal icon (En Español)
Asian Smokers’ Quitlineexternal icon
AmandaAmanda 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.”*


	AmandaAmanda 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.”*How Can Quitting Help You and Your Baby?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.
When you stop smoking:1
Your baby gets more oxygen, even after just 1 day.
Your baby will grow better.
Your baby is less likely to be born too early.
You’ll have more energy and breathe more easily.
You will be less likely to develop heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, lung disease, and other smoking-related diseases.Top of PageSupport for Quitting During PregnancyMost 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:
Help Her Quit Smoking
Pregnancy, Motherhood, and Smoking
Smokefree WomenQuitting Smoking Protects Your Health and the Health of Your Baby
Audio Description Low Resolution Video
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.Free Quitting ResourcesTelephone
1-800-QUIT-NOW
1-855-DÉJELO-YA (Español)
1-800-838-8917 (中文)
1-800-556-5564 (한국어)
1-800-778-8440 (Tiếng Việt)Smartphone Apps/Text
Text QUITNOW to 333888—Message and data rates may apply
quitSTART appexternal iconWeb
Quit Smoking (En Español)
Smokefree.govexternal icon (En Español)
Asian Smokers’ Quitlineexternal icon
AmandaAmanda 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.”*

Stay Smokefree for a Healthy ChildStaying 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
Fewer coughs and chest colds
A lower risk for bronchitis or pneumonia (lung problems)
Fewer ear infections
Fewer asthma attacks and wheezing problemsReferencesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Substance Use During Pregnancy [last updated 2022 May 23; accessed 2023 Mar 6].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnant? Don’t Smoke! [last updated 2017 Nov 13; accessed 2018 Mar 22].
National Cancer Institute. Smoking & Your Baby [accessed 2023 Mar 6].
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. Quit While Pregnant [accessed 2023 Mar 6].
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].Top of Page
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  October 13, 2023						Source: 	Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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