Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Why pregnant women should not smoke

As health professionals you have heard this said many times and for good reasons, not just for your health but also for the health of your unborn baby.  The evidence is overwhelming regarding the effects that that puff on that cigarette has on baby and we are here to help you.

"If your health isn’t enough to encourage you quit smoking, then the health of your baby should be. Smoking while pregnant increases the possibility of stillbirth, miscarriage and low birth weight – especially in teens and young adults.
Teens and young women have the highest reported smoking prevalence, and it’s only getting worse. The problem is kids experiment with tobacco and it often turns into a lifelong habit. Nearly 90 per cent of adults say they started smoking by the age of 18.
This is a reflection of aggressive tobacco industry marketing to girls. Tobacco companies advertise in magazines, market their brands through direct mail and adverts, promote their products in convenience stores and coerce youth through Internet websites and social media sites.
They fail to mention that tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and at least 60 cancer-causing compounds. Two compounds are especially hazardous to a mother and child: highly addictive nicotine and carbon monoxide.
Pregnant women often have intensified desires for cigarettes due to increases in their metabolism. The addictive effect is very strong and often proves extra difficult to cut cravings.
However, according to a new study, a brisk walk has been shown to temporarily reduce the effects of nicotine. Exercise was known to interrupt nicotine cravings for men and women, but it was still unclear for expecting young mothers.
“This was the first time we have been able to replicate the findings with pregnant smokers,” said Harry Prapavessis, director of the Exercise and Health Psychology Laboratory at Western University in Ontario, who led the research."
Please see your Midwife because we can give you the support to help you and your famly/whanau quit smoking and also refer you to a smoking cessation counsellor.

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