The Effects Of Prenatal Tobacco Exposure On An Infant 's Regulatory Processes During The First Month Of Their Lives

Smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy could lead to the placenta not developing fully. As the placenta carries oxygen and blood to the foetus this may impair growth and link to low birth weights. Babies born to smoking mothers are 30% more likely to have a premature baby which could lead to respiratory distress, problems feeding and they could have difficulty regulating their body temperature. Babies undergo withdrawal like systems and tend to be more jittery and harder to settle. Babies being brought up in a smoking household are at increased risk of cot death and may go on to develop asthma during childhood.

Pathophysiology: Tobacco smoke contains 1000 different compounds including carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, carcinogens. The two main compounds that cause harmful effects on a developing fetus is nicotine and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide has a higher affinity than oxygen for hemoglobin. Which when Carbon monoxide and hemoglobin combine they form boxy hemoglobin which is unable to carry oxygen, which leads to decreased oxygen delivery to the fetus and fetal hypoxia. Nicotine has cardiovascular and central nervous system effects. Nicotine is known to cross the placental barrier causing levels in the amniotic fluid and fetus 15% higher than the mother. The effects of cigarettes can remain with the fetus the rest of their lives. Ranging from

Overall, of 103830 records 82534 mothers’ data were analyzed that were obtained from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Certificate of Live Birth. Descriptive results of maternal and birth characteristics are shown in Table 1. Approximately, 57% of the mothers were white, 33% black, 7% Asian, and 3.6% other ethnicities, respectively. 29% of the maternal age at delivery was between 20-24 years old, 22% was between 25-29 years old, 19% was between 30-34 years old, 14% was between 19 years and younger, 11% was between 35-39 years old, and 4% was between 40 years and older, respectively. The number of LBW babies (< 2500 g) among mothers who smoked and non-smoked were 1359 (1.6%) and 81144 (98.3%), respectively. 16 % of mothers who smoked (n=5544) gave low birth weight babies. 5.4% of low birth weight babies had mothers smoked between 10-14 cigarettes per day.

The study also allowed the researcher to see the knowledge of women concerning risk factors to sudden infant death syndrome. The study targeted sixty-one women, ages twenty-four to forty-seven. Among these women were thirty-five nurses, and the rest of the twenty-six women were those who had no medical education or background. The average percentage of women who smoke was twenty-five percent, but including the nurses caused the percentage to go up to thirty percent. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy turned out to be six percent. There was high environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure to infants that were identified among these women. The outcome of this case study was unsatisfactory, showing that the targeted women, including nurses, did not have knowledge of the risk factors of sudden infant death syndrome ("[Cigarette Smoke as a Risk Factor of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)--Assessment of Knowledge and Behavior of

Your baby may be affected by nicotine and toxic substances in your breast milk, secondhand smoke, and thirdhand smoke.

Cigarette smoking increases a wide range of issues, with prematurity (20-30%) and low birth weight (which doubles) being the most probable. The first trimester is considered a critical time for growth as the fetus is beginning to develop organs. If a woman smokes only in her trimester and then quits, she has put her fetus at risk of developing a birth defect. Also, the second and third trimesters are important as well due to the fact that neurological defects result if a woman is smoking

Throughout the embryonic stage, 2 weeks to 8 weeks, many important developments are forming. “The embryo develops three layers, which ultimately forms a different set of structures as development proceeds. The layers are as follows: Ectoderm- skin, hair, teeth, sense organs, brain, and spinal cord. Endoderm- digestive system, liver, pancreas, and respiratory system. Mesoderm- muscles, bones, blood, and circulatory system” (Feldman, 2011 pg. 59). In this stage nicotine affects several of these developments. Nicotine can affect the growth of the lungs, causing problems later. It can also affect the tissue and skeletal growth, placenta blood flow and oxygen deprivation, and restrict the nutrients a fetus receives due to constricted uterine blood vessels. “It may primarily affect fetal peripheral tissue and skeletal growth. Fetal femur length is already affected from the second trimester onwards. Recently, it has been shown that first trimester fetal growth, as measured by crown-rump length, is also affected by maternal smoking” (Bakker,

          First of all, cigarettes are bad for a regular person. Cigarette smoking by the mother during pregnancy has been consistently shown in studies as a risk factor for SIDS. A study measuring the level of tobacco smoke exposure in SIDS victims to a control group of infants that had died of other causes. Relying on the continue concentration taken from the pericardial fluid, researchers found that the SIDS victims were more likely to have high the concentrations of cotinine in the fluid than the control infants. Cotinine is produced as the liver cleanses the nicotine from the blood and metabolizes it. Steps are being took to inform people about the

Over the years, statistics show that smoking cigarettes can cause many serious health issues. These issues compound when the smoker is expecting. Fourteen percent of U.S. mothers smoke while pregnant despite knowing the fact that smoking causes harm to both mother and child. In younger mothers, age 25 and under, that number rises significantly to 20 percent. If a woman smokes then becomes pregnant, she must decide whether or not to quit. Woman are aware that cigarettes are not good for them or their baby, but do they understand the severity of smoking while carrying their unborn child in their womb? In this paper I will evaluate how women who smoke while pregnant are at high risk for early miscarriage, preterm birth, and birth defects. Is smoking a cigarette worth risking the life of your unborn child?

Pregnancy is a joyful time for most families because that means the mother is bringing a new member into the world who will be welcomed into the family. A mother holding her newborn healthy baby in her arms for the first time makes her feel a sense of pride. This is because she has followed all of her doctor’s instructions and listened to his advice on how to keep herself healthy, and how to deliver a healthy baby after her nine months are up. But what if the new mom to be did not listen to the doctor’s advice? What if she decided to smoke during her pregnancy because she assumed it would not hurt the baby? What health problems or birth defects would the baby be challenged with when it was born? Women who smoke during their pregnancies on

According to the Center for Disease Control, (CDC) there are toxic chemicals in cigarettes that “affect the brain in ways that interfere with its regulation of infants' breathing” (CDC, 2010). Autopsy reports also show “higher concentrations of nicotine in their lungs and higher levels of cotinine (a biological marker for secondhand smoke exposure) than infants who die from other causes” (CDC, 2010).

Among the many environmental factors that can affect infant learning, prenatal cigarette exposure has proven to be a topic of interest in behavioral teratology due to the large number of health effects it is associated with. Some of the health effects of prenatal cigarette exposure include: lower birth weight, smaller head circumference, lower IQ, attention dysfunction, hyperactivity and other conduct problems, as well as school failure (Mezzacappa, E., 2011, p. 881-891). There are some human studies that investigate the cognitive deficits related to prenatal cigarette exposure which include: auditory, visual attention, and working memory issues.

The objective of this study is to assess the risk factors such as socio-economic factors, demographic factors, maternal characteristics, negative effects on babies, and bring awareness of how tobacco use can affect low birth weight, respiratory complications, preterm birth , the development, the control over their emotions/behaviors and learning abilities, and overall health of the pregnancy and child in question.

Exposure to second hand smoke, also called involuntary smoking, occurs when non-smokers breathe in the cigarette smoke from others around them. Second hand smoke is harmful to both pregnant women and infants (NTP). Paternal smoking reduces birth weight by about 2 oz. (Berger 115). After birth, babies exposed to cigarette smoke may experience more colds, lung problems, and even ear infections.

Adults who inhale secondhand smoke are prone to middle ear disease, respiratory symptoms, impaired lung function, lower respiratory illness, nasal irritation, lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke (The Health Consequences of Smoking). Secondhand smoke damage the brain of infants, which hamper the breathing for the newborn. Therefore, infants who are exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher chance off fatality due Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Children with tobacco using parents are found to have less lung growth and are more prone to bronchitis, pneumonia, wheezing, coughing, asthma attacks, and ear infections (Heath Effect of Secondhand Smoke). Both the mother and unborn child are at risk when exposed to secondhand smoke. Risk factors include miscarriage, low birth weight, early birth, learning or behavioral deficiencies in her child, and, once again, SIDS (Secondhand Smoke and