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Persuasive Essay On Abortion

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Imagine this: a woman learns she is about to become a new mother. Words cannot describe the amount of love and joy she already feels for her soon to be child. She now knows her fetus will depend on her body until it is born. It will need her in order to grow and become healthy enough to survive in the harsh world outside of the womb. But, let us imagine this new mother is a smoker; she now has a decision to make for herself that affects her baby directly. She could continue to smoke and potentially give birth to a baby with complications like birth defects, or she could quit smoking for the sake of her baby’s health and personally manage the side effects accompanying quitting. To most people, her decision should be obvious, especially when …show more content…

In the 1970s and 1980s, smoking was very common, 30-40 percent of pregnant women smoked during this time in the United States alone (Lee 193). That statistic was lowered to 16 percent of pregnant women smoking as of 2012 (193). Rates of prenatal smoking have began to decline due to the negative societal view on the action, and because of the increased tobacco warnings and a more widespread knowledge of risks (Oaks 68). With more education, societal pressure, and possibly the addition of new laws or restrictions, the act of smoking while pregnant will hopefully become …show more content…

There are many risks attributed with smoking; in fact, “Some researchers believe the use of cigarettes during pregnancy compares to the use of cocaine when looking at health risks” (Oaks 68). The abundance of chemicals and harmful carcinogens that are transmitted through cigarettes are easily passed to the embryo, which directly affects the fetus (Lee 193). Prenatal smoking can result in many complications, and it has been linked with numerous negative effects. It has been linked with fetal zinc deficiency, which is very harmful because zinc is essential for fetal growth and development (Jaakkola 560). Low fetal tissue oxygenation can arise from reduced blood flow and an increase in fetal carboxyhemoglobin in the placenta due to inhaling carbon monoxide and nicotine while smoking (560). Maternal cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk for neural tube defects (Suarez 398), such as spina bifida and anencephaly, that affect the brain, spine, or spinal cord. Anorectal atresia occurs in around one in 500 live births, and there is now evidence supporting the cause of this being to prenatal smoking and exposure to smoke during pregnancy (Miller 509). Anal atresia is a congenital birth defect where babies are born with an imperforate anus, which can result in the child having problems with bowel control and constipation. Smoking and exposure to smoke while pregnant has

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