These children may also be slower learners in school. And they may be shorter and smaller than children of nonsmokers. And, of course, they are more likely to smoke when they get older because they see their parents smoking. Even after the baby is born, her smoking can hurt the baby. Babies have very small lungs and airways which get even smaller when they breathe smoke-filled air.
Smoking can make it hard for the baby to breathe.
It can cause lung problems like bronchitis and pneumonia that could put the baby back in the hospital. Babies of smokers also get more colds and coughs and middle-ear infections. Mothers should also ask people like family, friends, baby sitters, and day care workers not to smoke in any areas near the baby. She can make a list of her reasons for wanting to quit, for herself as well as for her baby. If a woman is not ready to set a date, she can begin to cut down on smoking.