Secondhand Smoke and Your Baby

Most people understand the dangers of smoking while pregnant. Did you know that just being around secondhand smoke while you are carrying a baby carries some real health risks for them? It’s true, and the health havoc it can bring is devastating.

You obviously want to start your baby off with the best health possible. We help people achieve their dreams of becoming parents with Melbourne IVF, if needed. Let’s discuss why secondhand smoke is so bad for your baby.

What Makes Up Secondhand Smoke?

Secondhand smoke is a combination of two factors. It’s the smoke that comes out of a tobacco-based product directly, and when a person exhales that same smoke. Cigarettes are the most common type of tobacco product that consumers use, but there are cigars and pipes as well. That smoke contains up to 7000 chemicals that are harmful to the smoker and the people around them. Not only is a smoker hurting themselves, but they are also putting everyone else around them at risk, including children.

The Problem of Smoking During Pregnancy

When you smoke while pregnant, your developing baby is exposed to all of those same dangerous chemicals. This can lead to having a miscarriage in early or later pregnancy. The last thing you want after undergoing Melbourne IVF is to have that pregnancy end. If you are able to carry and deliver that baby, there are still problems they may face from secondhand smoke.

The baby could be underdeveloped from a premature birth and have problems with their lungs and breathing issues. There is also the risk of having a much lower birthrate, where the baby is smaller than they would normally be.

The baby might be more prone to going through SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). That’s where there is an unexplained death, usually in healthy infants under a year old, suddenly stop breathing and die. It’s all pretty scary stuff that can easily be avoided, if the person who is pregnant just stopped smoking.

Secondhand Smoke and Your New Baby

Once home, you still want to make sure they aren’t around anyone in your family that smokes. The health risks are just too high. A baby who is around a chronic smoker could have more ear infections, colds, respiratory problems, and tooth decay, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Exposure to smoke puts a child is at risk for developing learning problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can cause obstacles for them to go through during their entire life.

It’s also been proven that children who grow up with parents that smoke are more likely to smoke themselves as teens and adults. So the cycle of unhealthy behavior continues, which can lead to more serious illnesses, like cancer or heart disease.

The Importance of Creating a Smoke-Free Environment

It takes a little vigilance if you or your partner doesn’t smoke to avoid other extended family members who do. It’s so worth it though to make sure that your new baby or child isn’t exposed to those dangerous and problem-causing chemicals. You just have to make a choice about doing it and avoid that nasty secondhand smoke.

The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages all parents to make sure their home and cars are smoke-free, they choose a babysitter or nanny that doesn’t smoke, and leave places where smoking is allowed when your children are with you. It’s just that simple to keep your children safe from the dangerous and health issues caused by secondhand smoke.

Contact Us

After all, at Viera Fertility Clinic, our goal is to provide the best care for those that are having fertility issues. We are all about compassionate care; we’re here for you on your journey to build the family of your dreams in the healthiest way possible. Contact us today to see how we can help you.