14 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc., Secondhand Smoke Fact Sheet, 1996. Tobacco smoke reduces the delivery of oxygen to the fetus through the presence of carbon monoxide, cyanide, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Nicotine and other substances in tobacco smoke cause reduction in placental blood flow, creating further reductions in oxygen delivery as well as reductions in nutrients to the unborn baby. Nutrients include iron, amino acids, vitamins B 12 and C, folic acid and zinc. 4 Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy produces twice the risk of low birthweight babies.
Smoking is the single largest modifiable risk factor in intrauterine growth retardation.
6 Maternal smoking during pregnancy is also associated with genetic defects as well as an increased incidence of congenital anomalies such as cleft palate. 7 Miscarriages and stillbirths are twice as prevalent in smoking mothers. There is also a higher incidence of life threatening pregnancy complications including hypertension, toxemia, abruptio placenta, and placenta previa. Smoking during pregnancy produces greater incidence of children with narrowed airways after birth predisposing them to asthma and respiratory disorders.