Healthy Pregnancy

Smoking and Pregnancy

When you or the people around you smoke, your baby smokes too. A smoke-free environment is best for both you and your developing baby.

Important Facts

When you smoke, your baby gets less oxygen and nutrients. This can cause your baby to grow more slowly and gain less weight in your womb. Babies with a lower-than-average birth weight tend to have more health problems. And the more you smoke, the higher the risk that your baby will have complications during the perinatal period (just before, during and just after birth). This is true for babies exposed to second-hand smoke too.

Cigarette smoking exposes your baby to over 4,000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Fifty of these are associated with cancer.

Exposure to tobacco smoke affects your baby for life. Your baby may have learning problems, more ear infections, and more colds and breathing problems. Being born small can affect your baby's health into adulthood.

Smoking during pregnancy will increase the risks to your own health too. For example, you have a greater chance of having a miscarriage than a non-smoker. During the birth, you are more likely to have complications.

Second-hand smoke is just as bad. Second-hand smoke contains the same toxic chemicals and carcinogens that smokers inhale. Children regularly exposed to second-hand smoke are at least 50% more likely to suffer damage to their lungs and to develop breathing problems such as asthma. When you breathe in second-hand smoke, you have a greater risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease, breathing problems and irritation of the eyes, lungs and throat.

Next Steps

If you are currently smoking, the best step you can take is to quit! Your baby will get more oxygen and nutrients, which will help the baby’s birth weight and health. You will lower your blood pressure and heart rate, as well as decrease your risk of complications during labour and delivery. You can talk to your doctor about ways to quit that are most appropriate while you are pregnant. If you have trouble quitting, ask for help.

Avoid second-hand smoke. Make your home and car smoke-free spaces. Ask your partner, family members and friends not to smoke around you. When you are with people who want to smoke, ask them to smoke outside. Explain to them that you and your baby need smoke-free air.

For more information

• Common Questions: Smoking and Pregnancy
• Go Smoke Free
• Advice for Pregnant Women and New Mothers
• Pre and Postnatal Issues
• Second-hand Smoke
• March of Dimes: Factsheets for Professionals and Researches: Smoking During Pregnancy
• Pregnets: Common Questions for Moms and Moms to Be
• Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC): The Truth about Smoking and Pregnancy